Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: The Fifth Gate
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The first gate of the Pure Sound Five Gates was the Extreme Gate.
There, they tested the indomitable spirit that refused to yield while climbing the towering snow-capped mountains.
The second gate, the Virtue Gate, was incomplete and thus skipped, but it was meant to assess one's benevolent nature.
The third, the Melody Gate, judged one's mastery of music, while the fourth, the Martial Gate, was a trial no one without true martial prowess could pass.
So then.
What quality would Sound Master wish to see in his disciple at the fifth and final gate?
The answer was simple.
Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling~
He hadn't noticed it until now, but a beautiful melody was drifting into his ears.
The tune was more than just pleasant—it burrowed straight into his mind.
'That's not all there is to it.'
Artificial flows of qi pulsed from all directions.
This place was the interior of an array far more powerful than the one in the first gate that had conjured the snow mountains.
Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling~
The artificial qi flows began syncing perfectly with the rhythm of the sound and melody.
With that, a familiar landscape unfolded—one he could never forget, the final moments of his past life.
Before he knew it, Yang-hui stood in the middle of the ravine he had traversed with his sworn younger brother, Chui-dal.
"Brother, what's wrong?"
The face of his otter-like sworn brother, Baek-ri Chui-dal, came into view.
Chui-dal shouted as if he knew exactly what was up.
"Plotting to tease your little brother again? That's too much!"
What should he say? That he missed him?
Or apologize for failing to protect him?
Neither.
Yang-hui grinned and lightly tapped Chui-dal's chest.
"You rascal. Your big brother will come fetch you soon enough."
"Huh? Fetch me? I'm right here—what are you talking about?"
"A hundred-ri dimwit like you wouldn't get it. There's circumstances at play."
"Brother! I knew it! Teasing your little brother is that fun, huh... Gahk!"
Eleven masked figures appeared like phantoms.
The one at the forefront, Namgung Cheon-yeong, drove his sword straight through Chui-dal's chest.
"Kuh... Krk... Hek... Brother..."
Blood poured from Chui-dal's mouth like a waterfall.
His wide, bulging eyes locked onto Yang-hui's.
"Why... didn't you protect... kuhk... me..."
Among the countless comrades he'd met in his past life, this was the most precious one.
They got along so well that they'd sworn brotherhood in a drunken haze.
"My death... is your... kuhk... fault... Follow me... to the end..."
Chui-dal was resenting Yang-hui.
Even as he died, he spat curses.
...And yet.
Yang-hui smiled.
What a mere hundred-ri fool said didn't matter—he was just happy to see that long-missed face again.
'Sound Master sure knows how to play dirty.'
With that thought, Yang-hui cheerfully shot back.
"Kid, you died because you're a hundred-ri idiot. I even gave you a chance to run, and you got caught—what were you thinking? Because of you..."
I got so pissed I avenged you and died right after.
We might've both lived if you'd run.
Well, since I turned back time, it's a net gain anyway.
"My apologies, Best Sword Among Wanderers."
Namgung Cheon-yeong swung his sword sideways, flinging Chui-dal's corpse aside.
He had already removed his mask, his face etched with grave solemnity.
"Your talent is too dangerous. We can't stand by while the Baek Clan rises."
In his past life, those words had filled him with disgust bordering on revulsion.
But now, things were different.
Their positions had changed.
Yang-hui felt a refreshing thrill and a certain conviction swelling within him.
"Yeah, my talent's pretty dangerous. Enough to surpass the world's best and aim for the greatest in history."
"Isn't that a bit too arrogant?"
"Bullshit. If it wasn't that big a deal, why would the 'World's Greatest Clan,' the Great Namgung, stoop to assassination? Not ashamed of your name?"
"......"
"Anyway. You're all dead meat now."
A talent that rose to super peak from mere third-rate family arts.
So exceptional that the then-world's greatest clan, Namgung, ambushed him.
The makings of a grandmaster.
And on top of that, he'd turned back time.
"Clear your necks and wait. In this life, you won't even keep the 'clan' title, let alone 'world's greatest.'"
He was confident he could make it happen.
That's why he'd been striving ever since reversing time.
"We've already half-devoured Ak-an County. Rumors are spreading of a hidden dragon in Baek Clan Manor. Oh, that reminds me—curious thing. Do you lot kill hidden dragons too?"
"Of course. We'll eliminate anything that threatens our main house."
"Bullshit again."
A scoff escaped him. He knew full well that was impossible.
Ever since returning to the past, Yang-hui had flaunted his talent excessively, acting far beyond his years.
For the clan's benefit, sure—but he'd been deliberately eye-catching.
And yet, he wasn't worried about scrutiny from the great clans. Why?
"Namgung bastards, with your noses stuck in the sky, can you even spot a hidden dragon from some third-rate martial family?"
In his past life, as a wandering swordsman, he'd roamed the world.
He'd observed the behaviors of countless great sects and clans up close.
So he was certain.
Pretentious elites from famed houses wouldn't bother with third-raters.
'Well, that's what I thought—until Namgung backstabbed me.'
But this life was different. He already had two safety nets.
Unlike before, the Jeon clan young leader—his uncle by sworn bond—Jeon Seon, who no longer needed to hole up.
And Heavenly Martial Ten Honors' Storming Sound Master, who permitted the title of master despite being a lay disciple.
Even if Namgung turned their eyes to the main house—which they wouldn't—they couldn't stir trouble.
'Plus, Namgung ambushed me back then precisely because I'd reached super peak.'
First-rate realm lets you claim top dog in a county.
Peak lets your name echo through a province, declaring yourself a master.
So, what about super peak?
'A master whose fame resounds through an entire city. One who can found their own sect as a grandmaster and dominate a city's underworld.'
That's why the Namgung Clan of his past life targeted him.
The Best Sword Among Wanderers, committing the absurd feat of reaching grandmaster level with third-rate arts.
To prevent such talent—from someone comparable to the Three Peaks Immortal who founded Wudang with Three Star Sword— from settling in Jiangxi Province, near their base in Anhui.
"Enough chit-chat. Let's get started."
Yang-hui swept his gaze over the eleven Namgung warriors, led by Namgung Cheon-yeong, all drawing their swords.
This was a divergence from his past life's end.
And in an even filthier direction.
'Does this mean I have to face all eleven at once, including Namgung Cheon-yeong?'
Sound Master, I get that you're replaying past trauma to test some quality in your disciple.
But isn't this overkill?
I understand you're checking my tenacious challenge spirit that never breaks.
But at this difficulty, even Seol-ha might not pass, let alone me?
"Eek!"
Yang-hui swung his sword to deflect a masked assailant's ambush, then severed his head in one motion.
"Attacking when I'm off-guard, huh?"
"The careless one deserves it."
"Fair point."
Yang-hui hurled his sword, piercing the head of the farthest masked figure, who had let his guard down.
"If you're wrong, you die. Right, Namgung Cheon-yeong?"
"You're unarmed now. Next year today will be your death anniversary."
"We'll see."
The masked foes charged simultaneously. He caught the foremost one's sword barehanded.
Normally, the sharp blade would slice flesh on contact.
But in an instant, the sword slipped from the masked man's grip into Yang-hui's.
"Empty Hand Seizes White Blade!"
Hearing one masked man's cry of alarm, Yang-hui swung.
Shing-!
One stroke felled two heads. The rest retreated to regroup.
Yang-hui slung his sword over his shoulder.
"Namgung Cheon-yeong. Stop spectating and come at me properly with your men. Or they'll all die."
"......"
Namgung Cheon-yeong drew his sword. Explosive aura erupted from him.
Not mere qi wave—something greater.
Yes, Namgung Cheon-yeong himself embodied a vast heaven, pressing down with immense pressure.
"Whoa. Been a while since I felt this."
Unlike his young present body, a colossal, mighty Harmonious Heaven qi throbbed in his lower dantian.
And not just that.
His middle dantian surged with primal qi, flooding his body.
His upper dantian unleashed the mental image he'd cultivated as a martial artist, manifesting as power.
Mind Image Qi, or Intent Qi.
The realm beyond peak, transcending human limits by opening the upper dantian.
"In my past life, I said something like this, I think. Emperor Sword Form would be perfect to test Heaven-Covering 108 Swords against."
Namgung Cheon-yeong emanated the heaven's mental image, evoking imperial might.
Yang-hui countered with his own Intent Qi.
It rivaled the heavenly image the Great Namgung relentlessly pursued across generations.
"H-How is this...!"
"Surprised a mere wanderer matches Namgung's heaven?"
"Impossible!"
Ah, that line. He'd heard it verbatim in his past life.
Namgung Cheon-yeong had sent all his men to pursue Chui-dal, forcing a one-on-one deathmatch.
He'd been shocked back then too, by Yang-hui's unyielding mental image.
"Where's 'impossible' in this world, punk?"
Yang-hui grinned. Threads of sword qi began coiling around his blade, one by one.
What formed went beyond qi concentration—it symbolized materialization.
Proof of harmonizing essence, qi, and spirit; opening all three dantians to reach super peak.
Sword Aura.
"Here, taste some sword aura!"
His sword, wrapped in pure white sword aura, targeted Namgung Cheon-yeong's vitals.
The man countered with his own sky-piercing sword aura.
Kang!
In the clash, Namgung Cheon-yeong's aura chipped away. He recoiled in shock.
"How can this be!"
Unlike sword qi, forged by concentrating qi through willpower,
sword aura required compressing qi with Intent Qi to the point of substantiation.
In other words, sword aura's strength scaled directly with one's intent.
"Different from my past life, huh, punk?"
Yang-hui smirked.
Back then, their sword auras were evenly matched.
But the new insights from this life tipped his clearly superior.
"No dragging this out. Let's end it quick. Seol-ha's waiting."
"Kuhk!"
As Yang-hui's aura exploded, Namgung Cheon-yeong ramped up his own.
Qi waves and Intent Qi spread outward.
Mingling, they painted their clashing mental images.
Yang-hui smirked again at Namgung Cheon-yeong's image of vast blue skies.
"This life, I'll show you properly. The Baek Clan's sword that covers the heavens."
All sword lineages pour their unique path into the blade.
Mount Hua's swords pursue flashy beauty evoking plum blossoms.
Namgung's follow a high, heavy path overlooking all like the sky.
And the Baek Clan's sword was.
Heaven-Covering.
Kyaaaaaaa-!
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