Chapter 92: The Namgung Clan is Obsessed with Me (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 92: The Namgung Clan is Obsessed with Me (1)
To repay my father-in-law’s grace—a debt as vast as the ocean—I created an auxiliary martial art to supplement the Namgung Clan’s basic techniques.
“This is impossible!”
“To think such a martial art exists in this world!”
“I’ve figured out a brilliant method! If I just smack my head, a new martial art pops out the very next day!”
How did it come to this? I just wanted to live a quiet life.
*
Namgung Su-ah looked at Seo-jun, who was grinning like a fool, and finally let out a soft laugh.
“Seo-jun, what are you thinking about?”
“Just thinking about my new martial art becoming a massive hit and helping me rule the Central Plains.”
Seo-jun shook his head to clear the silly thought and set down the manual he had been holding.
The Lightning Heart Method. It was, quite literally, a basic technique.
The difference between it and the Three Talents Heart Method was that the Lightning Heart Method served as a broad foundation infused with the unique characteristics of the Namgung Clan, making it slightly easier to reach higher levels.
Seo-jun placed his finger on the cover of the blank book he had received from the Chief Steward.
Crackle—!
Faint sparks of lightning qi flickered from his fingertip, leaving scorched marks on the cover.
The characters etched there read: Azure Lightning Heart Method.
Rather than being a direct evolution of the Lightning Heart Method, it was more accurate to say it was an auxiliary technique added to the original to drastically increase its efficiency.
Furthermore, since the martial art itself was a basic technique, he intended to describe it in such painstaking detail that anyone with a brain could understand it—as if he were chewing up every single grain of rice for an infant who couldn't even hold a spoon, then spoon-feeding it to them.
If someone still found this difficult, they simply had zero talent for martial arts and should quit right now to become a farmer.
“Hmm. This seems pretty good.”
At first, he had considered incorporating some principles of the Demonic Arts, but he managed to achieve decent efficiency without going that far. He figured it would be better to save the Demonic Arts for when he created higher-level techniques.
Seo-jun nodded with satisfaction and flipped the book open. The pages were stark white. Suddenly, his eyes flashed, and his fingers moved like a bolt of lightning.
Flip, flip, flip—!
By the time he reached the final page, the once-blank paper was densely packed with black ink.
He felt a sudden surge of pride at how much his calligraphy had improved.
“Want to read it?”
When Seo-jun handed over the book, Namgung Su-ah’s eyes widened as she carefully took it.
“This is…”
The further she read, the faster she turned the pages. After finishing the entire Azure Lightning Heart Method in just about ten minutes, she let out a soft gasp of awe.
“These are oral chants to be added to the Lightning Heart Method? If one follows this, the lightning qi within their internal energy will become much more potent.”
“That’s not the main point. I designed it so that the intensified lightning qi increases the speed of circulation, allowing the body to absorb surrounding qi more effectively. The accumulation speed will probably be about twice as fast as practicing the Lightning Heart Method alone.”
If he had leaned fully into the Demonic Arts, he could have made it three times faster or even more, but that would have come with severe side effects—or a massive spike in difficulty.
Honestly, Seo-jun didn't think it would be that much harder, but remembering the times he’d made Namgung Su-ah test various things for him, he figured it probably would be too difficult for others.
If a genius like Namgung Su-ah couldn't do it, the number of martial artists in the world who could would likely be counted on one hand. And those elite martial artists would already be practicing high-level techniques rather than basic ones anyway.
“I think it just needs a little more polishing… but I’m not feeling that final spark of inspiration.”
“More? Even at this level, it’s already far beyond a basic technique…”
“Now, now, Sister. I am a craftsman of martial arts. I can’t leave behind even a speck of a flaw.”
What would be good? A distinct characteristic unique to the Azure Lightning Heart Method. Something that set it apart from all other martial arts.
“Hmm…”
What came to mind when thinking of the Namgung Clan?
The heavens. Lightning. Sovereignty. That overwhelming presence.
The concepts they imbued into their swords were weight, dominance, and speed. Even the Namgung Clan’s signature blue robes were pristine, yet carried a certain heavy gravity.
Seo-jun wrestled with these scattered thoughts until his eyes suddenly snapped open.
“Lightning is the best choice, right? Since the name is the Azure Lightning Heart Method.”
“Huh? Oh, yeah…”
Seo-jun pulled another blank book from his robes.
“Right, it’s a basic technique. Come to think of it, don't people usually move on to high-level martial arts once they reach the Peak Realm?”
“Usually, yes.”
“Then that means people who are First-rate at best are the ones practicing this… Wouldn't it be great if they could use Sword Qi even before reaching the First-rate stage?”
“It would be great, but… is that even possible? Being able to use Sword Qi is exactly what makes someone First-rate…”
It wasn't that such miraculous martial arts didn't exist at all, but they were usually revered as Divine Arts.
“Hey, nothing is impossible. Just wait.”
Seo-jun easily plucked the necessary components from the swirling vortex of inspiration in his mind.
Sword Qi was the physical manifestation of internal energy channeled through a sword to trigger various destructive effects. To achieve this, a martial artist first had to grasp a fragment of the Unity of Man and Sword, treating the blade as a literal extension of their own body. Naturally, they also had to be capable of externalizing their internal energy.
Only those capable of all this were crowned as First-rate martial artists.
So, how could he make those who hadn't reached the First-rate stage handle Sword Qi?
“A martial art where Sword Qi comes out even if you turn your brain off and just do as you're told.”
Yes, that was it.
Since making them handle pure Sword Qi from the start would be both difficult and dangerous, he would take it step by step from the basics. Instead of cramming it into the Azure Lightning Heart Method, it seemed better to create a new, linked sword technique. If he just refined it properly…
“Mhm. Good. Let’s call this the Thirteen Lightning Sword Forms.”
Seo-jun smiled brightly as he wrote down the oral chants. Watching him, Namgung Su-ah’s expression became complicated.
*
Jin Ga-wi, the Chief Steward of the Namgung Clan, stared blankly at the books Seo-jun had left behind after his sudden visit.
He had originally intended to thank the Young Master for his help with the Green Forest subjugation, but instead, he had ended up receiving a gift.
“So… you’re saying the Young Master created these martial arts?”
“It appears so…?”
Baek Gyeol, Jin Ga-wi’s guard, read the titles of the manuals with a skeptical expression.
The Lightning Heart Method. This was the Namgung Clan’s original basic technique. And the ones the Young Master created were the Azure Lightning Heart Method and the Thirteen Lightning Sword Forms?
“Chief Steward, as brilliant as the Young Master may be, creating a martial art is a different realm entirely. I think we need to test them first…”
“Hmm, you’re right. What should we do…”
“I’ll try them. If there’s anything wrong, I’ll be able to tell immediately.”
“Ah, would you?”
Jin Ga-wi handed the manuals to Baek Gyeol. In truth, he didn't quite understand why the Young Master had given these to him in the first place.
‘I feel like the Chief of the Heavenly Martial Pavilion should be the one looking at these, not me…’
Since the Chief of the Heavenly Martial Pavilion handled most of the clan’s manuals, it seemed more appropriate for him to examine them.
‘No. If it’s the Young Master, surely he has a deep reason for this?’
Of course he did. Jin Ga-wi was fully prepared to believe Seo-jun even if the boy claimed he could turn red beans into solid gold.
After all, how much had his workload decreased thanks to the Young Master? Just thinking about that made him willing to believe anything ten or even a hundred times over.
With a refreshed expression, Jin Ga-wi cleared his worries and spoke to Baek Gyeol.
“I’ll finish up my work here, so why don't you go test them out as a way to take a break? The training ground in the back should be empty.”
“Yes, Chief Steward.”
‘Is this really a break?’ Baek Gyeol wondered, tilting his head as he headed toward the training ground.
*
Baek Gyeol first skimmed through the manuals.
‘There’s nothing that contradicts logic.’
They seemed logically sound on paper.
However, just because a martial art seemed plausible didn't mean it would work as intended in reality. Of course, since the Young Master himself was a Super Peak martial artist, there was no way he didn't know that. Still, the idea that he had casually whipped up two brand-new martial arts in the short time since arriving at the clan was hard to swallow.
“First, the Azure Lightning Heart Method…”
Since Baek Gyeol had previously mastered the Lightning Heart Method, he was able to pick up the Azure Lightning Heart Method quickly. It was somewhat difficult, but Baek Gyeol was also a Peak Realm martial artist. After reading the manual carefully a few times, he found no major issues.
He sat cross-legged and recited the oral chants over and over in his mind.
‘Alright. If I feel anything strange, I must stop immediately.’
He closed his eyes and performed the Small Heavenly Circulation.
After some time had passed…
Baek Gyeol’s eyes snapped open, and blue lightning qi flickered around him.
“Th-this is…!”
Baek Gyeol jumped up and inspected his internal state. He had only completed a single cycle, yet his internal energy had increased by a significant amount.
“How is this… even possible?”
His accumulation speed was at least three times faster. Even the lightning qi imbued in his internal energy had become noticeably more potent.
‘And I thought I had mastered the Lightning Heart Method…’
He hadn't. By circulating his energy as the Azure Lightning Heart Method directed, his understanding of the original Lightning Heart Method became far deeper than before.
Normally, someone who had truly mastered the Lightning Heart Method would see their accumulation speed double. But for someone who hadn't quite reached that absolute pinnacle of mastery, the efficiency was even higher, as the new technique forcefully deepened their fundamental understanding of the original.
“This is insane…!”
With trembling hands, Baek Gyeol hurried to open the other book.
The Thirteen Lightning Sword Forms. The other martial art the Young Master had created. It was a pair with the Azure Lightning Heart Method.
Could this one possibly be on the same level?
‘Surely not.’
Baek Gyeol tried to calm his excitement. The Azure Lightning Heart Method alone was enough to throw the Namgung Clan into an uproar.
This wasn't something that should be classified as a mere basic technique; it was a profound martial art that should only be granted as a special reward to those who had performed monumental services for the clan. It didn't just increase accumulation speed; it was an absurd technique that practically force-fed enlightenment to the practitioner!
And there were two of them?
Even for someone with the talent of a Grandmaster, it should be impossible. There simply wouldn't have been enough time.
Baek Gyeol skimmed the Thirteen Lightning Sword Forms and nodded.
‘This is a sword technique.’
Looking at the sword technique itself, nothing seemed particularly extraordinary.
‘As I thought. No matter how great he is, he couldn't have made two techniques on the level of the Azure Lightning Heart Method.’
Baek Gyeol drew his sword and performed the Thirteen Lightning Sword Forms. Just because it didn't look "extraordinary" on paper didn't mean it was a poor technique. It harmonized the principles of weight, dominance, and speed, with speed being the most prominent.
‘It’s a fast sword technique.’
Swish, swish—!
Baek Gyeol finished the forms and took a deep breath.
“Still, this is a respectable martial art… Hmm?”
Baek Gyeol noticed something strange. He certainly hadn't externalized any Sword Qi, so why was his blade shrouded in lightning qi?
“Uh…?”
Flustered, Baek Gyeol performed the Thirteen Lightning Sword Forms once more.
Crackle—!
The same thing happened again; lightning qi clung to the blade.
It wasn't Sword Qi, but it was similar. The most important thing was that Baek Gyeol had no intention of externalizing Sword Qi at all. This meant the martial art inherently possessed the function of manifesting lightning qi through the sword upon execution—and martial artists usually reserved the title of "Divine Art" for such miraculous techniques.
“Gasp…!!”
Trembling with a mix of awe and terror, Baek Gyeol swallowed hard. This time, he performed the Thirteen Lightning Sword Forms while consciously coating his blade with Sword Qi.
Though he was growing tired from performing the techniques repeatedly, Baek Gyeol was so excited he didn't even notice his fatigue as he swung his sword like a madman.
“A-ah…!”
What Baek Gyeol saw was a deep blue Sword Qi, twice as potent as his usual.
Imbuing attributes like lightning into Sword Qi was a miracle that only those at the very top of the Peak Realm could achieve. Baek Gyeol knew well that he was not at that level.
But look! Now his Sword Qi was flickering fiercely, saturated with dense lightning. And he had succeeded so easily, after only a few tries!
He knew that Divine Arts were as difficult to learn as they were powerful. Yet, this was a Divine Art that anyone who had learned the Namgung Clan’s martial arts could master without much difficulty?
Baek Gyeol practically leaped from his spot and ran, his eyes wide with shock.
“Ch-Chief Steward…! Chief Steward…!!!”
And just like that, the Namgung Clan was thrown into an absolute uproar.