Chapter 71: Namgung Clan (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 71: Namgung Clan (3)
Fortunately, when Namgung Jin-cheon said he would do his best, he didn't mean he was going to use his full strength to beat Seo-jun to death.
He simply meant he would approach their sparring session with absolute sincerity.
"Phew."
Only then did Seo-jun let out a breath of relief.
No matter how confident he was, he had zero desire to engage in a life-and-death duel with a Transcendent Realm martial artist just yet.
He didn't know about other Transcendent Realm masters, but the pressure radiating from Namgung Jin-cheon was on an entirely different level from any martial artist he had ever encountered.
It felt like standing beneath the deepest, most endless expanse of the sky. Even for Seo-jun, it was far too early to face a presence as vast as that abyss.
"Come..."
Namgung Jin-cheon assumed the opening stance of the Firmament Boundless Sword Technique and waited for Seo-jun to make the first move.
Seo-jun scratched his head. Reminding himself that going all out would ultimately benefit him, he drew his sword.
"Here I come."
What would be a good opening move against his pseudo-father-in-law?
He needed to give it his all, but he couldn't use Demonic Qi. He had no intention of causing a scene or inviting unnecessary trouble.
That meant sticking to his Righteous Faction techniques. Most of what he had learned belonged to the Righteous Faction anyway. Which form would be best to break the ice?
After a brief moment of deliberation, he simply let his instincts lead the way.
Flash!
Seo-jun glided across the ground. Yellow Dragon Crossing the Clouds. The phantom energy of a yellow dragon bloomed at his feet and surged into his blade.
Yellow Dragon Breaking the Heavens.
His sword, previously pointed toward the earth, soared violently toward the sky.
Roar!
Facing the dragon’s wide-open maw, Namgung Jin-cheon responded with effortless grace.
Clang!
With a simple upward parry, he knocked Seo-jun’s blade off course. As the sword sliced through empty air on its distorted trajectory, Namgung Jin-cheon flicked his wrist and delivered a light thrust.
Swish!
Seo-jun jerked his head to the side, his eyes widening. Fast. And incredibly concise. With two simple movements, his technique had been completely neutralized and a deadly counterattack launched.
As expected, he was no match for this man in pure swordsmanship.
Seo-jun allowed his momentum to carry him into a fall, blooming plum blossoms beneath his feet.
Stepping off the manifested petals, he rapidly widened the distance from Namgung Jin-cheon and brought his hands together, fusing Yin and Yang energy.
Primordial Unity Sun-Moon Art.
He gave the resulting explosion a singular direction and blasted it straight at Namgung Jin-cheon.
"Ho..."
The Family Head let out a soft exclamation of admiration and leisurely raised his sword.
The sky. A straight line drawn by the tip of his sword expanded endlessly, dividing the world.
When Seo-jun’s momentarily dazed mind snapped back to reality, he hurriedly steadied his falling body.
Thump!
His feet stung as they slammed into the ground. Seo-jun calmed his racing heart and looked at Namgung Jin-cheon.
"That just now was..."
"The Firmament Boundless Sword Technique..."
It was on a completely different level from Namgung Su-ah’s. Only then did Seo-jun realize what had just happened.
Namgung Jin-cheon’s sword had suppressed the entire area so thoroughly that he had nearly lost consciousness and collapsed.
The phantom weight of that descending sword still lingered in the air. A heavy pressure bore down on his shoulders. Seo-jun took a deep breath and reached out to the surrounding Qi.
"Whew..."
The crushing weight vanished. As Namgung Jin-cheon’s eyes gleamed with interest, Seo-jun twisted his body into a surprise maneuver.
Giant Spirit Divine Art. He let his internal energy run wild. Simultaneously, he uncoiled his twisted frame and swung his sword with all his might. A crescent of Sword Astral Qi, carrying the heavy, tyrannical essence of the Wang Family Blade Technique, shot forward.
Boom!
Namgung Jin-cheon blocked it with a single casual swing and tilted his head.
"A saber technique...?"
In the brief moment Namgung Jin-cheon swung his sword, Seo-jun closed the distance.
A distance that was neither too far nor too close. A perfect threshold where the sword wouldn't quite reach, yet wasn't entirely out of range.
"Hup!"
He exhaled sharply, blooming a flurry of plum blossoms.
Fwaaaaah!
Blue and red plum blossoms saturated the space.
Just as he had once dyed Namgung Su-ah’s sky with plum blossoms, he now covered Namgung Jin-cheon’s sky with them.
With the older man's vision obscured by the swirling petals, Seo-jun raised his sword high.
The sky. Namgung Su-ah’s sky, and Namgung Jin-cheon’s sky. He took only what he wanted from both and added it to his own sky.
Firmament Pressure Peak.
Lightning crackled fiercely along Seo-jun’s blade.
Namgung Jin-cheon’s eyebrows twitched. Could it be? No, that’s impossible. It was an impossible feat. To copy a martial art after seeing it just once—and to even capture its underlying intent—was impossible for anyone who wasn't the Martial God himself.
At that exact moment, the plum blossoms, whose aftereffects had been meticulously calculated, merged and detonated all at once.
Rumble, boom!
Everything except the exact spot where Seo-jun stood was swept up in the violent explosion. Amidst the chaos, Seo-jun brought down his raised sword.
Rumble!
The massive pressure didn't just concentrate the explosion into a single point; an incredibly heavy sword strike crashed down upon it from above.
It was a merciless attack that would have turned any ordinary martial artist into a handful of ash. But Seo-jun wasn't worried about his opponent. If anything, he had to worry about his own safety.
Flash!
There it was. A sword that had sliced effortlessly through the chaotic energy soared upward and clashed against Seo-jun’s blade.
Vwooom—
A strange vibration echoed through the air, and Seo-jun felt his sword suddenly become weightless.
"This is..."
Simultaneously, Namgung Jin-cheon’s sword spun lightly and soared toward the heavens.
Kboooooom!
The entire devastating aftermath of their colliding swords was cleanly deflected into the sky.
Seo-jun stared blankly, his mouth agape at the clouds that had been brutally torn apart.
"This is ridiculous..."
This was the Family Head of the Namgung Clan. This was his sword.
Namgung Jin-cheon hadn't even suffered a single frayed thread on his clothing despite that onslaught.
Seo-jun let out a hollow laugh and touched his cheek. It seemed he had been slightly nicked by the aftermath of that final collision. Red blood smeared across his fingertips.
"Should I keep going?"
"No... that is enough..."
Namgung Jin-cheon gripped his sword with both hands and raised it above his head. Seo-jun flinched in alarm.
"Uh... didn't you just say that was enough...?"
"It is enough... Just watch this sword..."
Slowly, Namgung Jin-cheon’s sword descended.
Seo-jun, who had been slightly intimidated, observed the blade intently. However, he didn't feel anything particularly grand or destructive.
When the descending sword finally came to a halt, Seo-jun felt something warm brush against his cheek, carried by a gentle breeze.
"...!"
Seo-jun’s eyes widened as he touched his cheek. The wound had completely healed. It was as if it had never been there at all. Even with his incredible regenerative abilities, it wouldn't have closed this fast. Seo-jun stared intently at Namgung Jin-cheon.
"Did you feel anything...?"
"Was that... the Life Sword?"
"You could call it that..."
Namgung Jin-cheon sheathed his sword. His forehead, which hadn't broken a single drop of sweat during the entire spar, was now drenched.
"The Heart Sword... I could only capture a mere sliver of it..."
"...I don't think 'only' is the right word for that."
"No, it is exactly that..."
Namgung Jin-cheon gazed blankly up at the sky.
The torn clouds had already been blurred by the wind, slowly merging back into their natural shapes.
"It has become a meaningless sword... because it is too late... It is all due to my own inadequacies..."
After staring at the sky for a long moment, his gaze turned back to Seo-jun.
"Your swordsmanship is lacking... Purely in terms of sword technique, it doesn't even reach half of the achievements you've made elsewhere..."
"Yes."
"However, your handling of Qi is exceptional... If you reach the Transcendent Realm, your potential will fully blossom..."
The stage where one could freely manipulate the natural energy of their surroundings—that was what defined the Transcendent Realm.
If Seo-jun reached that realm, he would be able to perform energy arts on a level completely different from other Transcendent masters.
"But no one knows when that will be... You might end up being too late, just like me..."
Namgung Jin-cheon looked at Seo-jun with hollow eyes. When Seo-jun met those unfocused pupils, he felt a sudden wave of vertigo.
He was high up. Seo-jun was absolutely certain of it. Namgung Jin-cheon was standing at the very peak, the absolute edge of the Transcendent Realm.
"I shall teach you the sword... Even if it is the sword of an ordinary man... I will guide you as a senior who is slightly ahead on the path..."
Vwooom—
Just as Seo-jun was about to answer, Namgung Jin-cheon tilted his head as if listening to the cry of his sword, and asked a sudden question.
"Son-in-law, by any chance, how long has it been since you started learning martial arts...?"
"Uh..."
Seo-jun did a rough mental calculation.
"It's been over a year... but not quite two years yet."
"Two years...?"
"Yes."
"Not twenty years...?"
"That's right."
"Hmm..."
Vwooom—
Namgung Jin-cheon leaned his ear toward his sword and nodded slowly.
"Son-in-law..."
"Yes."
"Forget what I just said..."
"Pardon?"
"An ordinary man foolishly tried to teach a genius... You are progressing perfectly well on your own, so do not mind my words..."
"Excuse me...?"
Namgung Jin-cheon shook his head.
"A genius has their own path... I will teach you if you truly wish it... but it doesn't seem particularly necessary..."
"Didn't you just say my swordsmanship was lacking?"
"If that is the level you've reached in a mere two years, your swordsmanship isn't lacking at all..."
"Aha."
Still, he couldn't just pass up an offer from the Family Head of the Namgung Clan to teach him swordsmanship. Seo-jun made sure to file that thought away for later.
After watching Seo-jun for a moment, Namgung Jin-cheon glanced at Namgung Su-ah and turned his back.
"I apologize, but I would like to rest for a moment... If you need anything, tell Su-ah..."
Swish!
The sword at his waist unsheathed itself and floated steadily in the air.
Stepping lightly atop the floating blade, Namgung Jin-cheon spoke, his voice like a heavy sigh.
"Su-ah..."
"Yes, Father."
"Myeong was looking for you..."
"I see..."
With a final slight nod toward Chun-bong, Namgung Jin-cheon vanished. It happened in an instant, as if two completely different scenes had been seamlessly spliced together.
Sword Flight. He had flown away on his sword. The speed was so absurdly fast that it looked like he had simply blinked out of existence.
Could I even block a sword flying at that speed?
As Seo-jun pondered this terrifying thought, he let out a hollow laugh and looked at Namgung Su-ah.
"Your father is... really strong."
"Yes, he is..."
Namgung Su-ah gave a weak, melancholic smile.
Startled by her gloomy reaction, Seo-jun exchanged a look with Chun-bong.
Do you know what's wrong?
Chun-bong shook her head. She didn't have a clue either.
As he was wondering what to do, he felt a presence rapidly approaching.
Since this was the Family Head’s private training ground, it couldn't be just anyone.
Glancing at Namgung Su-ah, he saw that she looked slightly flustered by the arrival.
"Sister! You're here!"
"Myeong."
A young man landed in the training ground and greeted Namgung Su-ah with a bright, sunny smile.
His facial features bore a striking resemblance to Namgung Jin-cheon.
"Is he...?"
When Seo-jun tilted his head in question, Namgung Su-ah nodded.
"This is Myeong—I mean, Namgung Myeong."
"He's your younger brother?"
"Yes."
When Seo-jun gave a polite, slight bow to Namgung Myeong, the youth promptly doubled over in a perfect ninety-degree bow.
"Ah...! I've heard so much about you, Brother-in-law!"
"Uh... right."
At the word 'Brother-in-law,' Chun-bong’s brow furrowed deeply in displeasure. Noticing her, Namgung Myeong bowed deeply toward her as well.
"I've heard about the in-law as well! I look forward to getting to know you!"
"Sure..."
Her eyes darting around, Chun-bong exchanged a look with Seo-jun. Then, she immediately sent him a Voice Transmission.
[What's with this guy...? Is he really her brother?]
[She said he is.]
Come to think of it, his overly energetic personality was the complete opposite of Namgung Jin-cheon's heavy stoicism.
"Myeong, they just arrived today, so everyone must be tired. Shall we talk tomorrow?"
"Ah! You're right! My apologies! Please, rest well!"
Bowing ninety degrees once more, Namgung Myeong quickly disappeared just as fast as he had arrived.
Seo-jun let out a hollow laugh.
"What an interesting family."
"Hehe, right?"
Namgung Su-ah smiled as she usually did, completely erasing her previous listless expression.
But that forced cheerfulness only made him more concerned.
Was something going on behind the scenes?
Seo-jun scratched his head.
"So... where are we staying for now?"
"Oh, I'll show you the way right now."
Watching Namgung Su-ah’s back as she led the way out of the training ground, Seo-jun gnawed on his lower lip.
Something's definitely bothering her.