Chapter 28

Jincheon Sect’s Training Hall Seon Woo Baek was relentlessly practicing martial arts, completely unaware that someone was watching him. Jincheon Sect’s master, Seon Suho, had gone out for a nighttime stroll when he heard the sounds of training coming from the hall. Curious, he followed the noise. Upon arriving, he saw his second son, drenched in sweat, intensely focused on his martial arts training. He was proud. There was no doubt—his son had changed. He nodded in approval and was about to leave when something strange caught his eye. Wait... What the hell is that? It was undoubtedly Jincheon Taeil Fist. But it wasn’t the Jincheon Taeil Fist he knew. Seon Suho narrowed his eyes and closely observed Seon Woo Baek’s movements. Unbelievable! Was that even possible? Why didn’t I ever think of that? Shock after shock. It was an entirely new way of executing Jincheon Taeil Fist. More than anything, what stunned him the most was the sheer power behind it. It was stronger. No, it wasn’t just a matter of increased strength—everything ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) felt refined. As if the technique had been perfectly structured. How had this happened? Was my son secretly a genius all along? Seon Suho remained silent, watching his son. Then, Seon Woo Baek executed the final move of Jincheon Taeil Fist—Taeil Heaven-Piercing Strike. Seon Suho’s eyes widened. Even though it was just training, without any real inner energy, the sheer pressure of the attack was overwhelming. Just as Seon Woo Baek finished and began to regulate his breathing— He sensed a presence. “Huh? A-ah, Father?” “What... What did you just perform?” Seon Suho’s voice was trembling. Seon Woo Baek flinched. Damn it. How do I even explain this? Do I tell him that Yeon Woo Jin took one look at our family’s secret martial art, instantly memorized it, fixed its flaws, and handed it back to me? Would he even believe that? No, he’d demand Yeon Woo Jin be captured immediately. But if I say I fixed it... That would be a lie. As Seon Woo Baek hesitated, lost in his thoughts, Seon Suho’s voice came again—louder this time. “I asked you a question! What was that technique you just performed?!” “I-it was Jincheon Taeil Fist.” “No, it was not!” “It was.” “...Did you modify it?” Seon Woo Baek hesitated. He wasn’t afraid that his father would harm Yeon Woo Jin. He was afraid that Yeon Woo Jin would harm his father. And if his father found out that Yeon Woo Jin had completely rewritten their clan’s sacred martial art... He would do anything to get his hands on him. “...Be honest with me. I’m not asking to punish you. You... You’ve solved our sect’s greatest problem.” “...What?” “In truth, the Jincheon Taeil Fist we practice is not the original.” ...What? “It was lost long ago. One of our ancestors tried to recreate it from memory. Even though it was still powerful, it was incomplete.” For the first time, Seon Suho spoke of their family’s secret history. “The problem was the inner energy flow. It was flawed, limiting our ability to progress further. That’s why our sect has always struggled to surpass its current rank. We researched and researched... but we could never perfect it. But when I saw you perform it tonight... I realized just how incredible the original must have been.” Seon Suho suddenly grabbed Seon Woo Baek’s hands, his expression desperate. “So I’ll ask again. Did you modify Jincheon Taeil Fist? Or did someone else guide you?” Seon Woo Baek wavered. Without thinking, he answered. “...A fellow disciple saw my movements and made some corrections.” He deliberately left out the part about Yeon Woo Jin rewriting the entire manual from scratch. “...Is that the truth? Who was it?” “...A friend named Yeon Woo Jin.” “...What?” Seon Suho’s face paled in an instant. Why is he reacting like that? “...I see. So it was him.” “Father... Do you know him?” Seon Suho jolted. “H-huh? Ah, no! How could I possibly know him?! I just... I was shocked! If he’s your age, then he must be incredibly talented.” “...He’s the one who pulled me out of the darkness. So... I don’t want anything bad to happen to him.” At that, Seon Suho flinched and quickly reassured him. “O-of course! A good friend is important! My son! You must stay close to him! Forever! Do you understand? You must always be with him—for life!” “...What?” “Swear it! Promise your father that you will do anything for that friend!” “...Uh, okay...?” “Good! Here, take this.” It was a banknote. “For your friend... make sure to buy him lots of good food! And take him to nice places! Treat him very well!” He nearly slipped and spoke in honorifics. “...Alright.” Seon Woo Baek had no idea why his father was acting like this. “Now, don’t overwork yourself. Get some rest.” “Yes, Father.” Seon Suho patted his son’s shoulder before turning away. His back was drenched in cold sweat. The one who had solved their clan’s greatest unsolved mystery. Of course. He’s that man’s grandson! And yet... he rewrote Jincheon Taeil Fist just from watching it once? A genius born from the heavens truly exists. Their sect’s struggles no longer mattered. What mattered now was— What if Seon Woo Baek somehow upsets Yeon Woo Jin? Seon Suho would have to worry about that every single day. That’s why he had told him— To never leave Yeon Woo Jin’s side. To always be on his good side. But he still wasn’t at ease. It would have been better if he had never known. So this is what they meant when they said ignorance is bliss... Part of him wanted to kneel before Yeon Woo Jin and worship him outright. But for now, he would keep his mouth shut. Still, his insides churned with anxiety. **** A secluded clearing far from the Martial God Sect. Three figures surrounded Yeon Woo Jin, their expressions solemn. The ones staring him down with determined faces were Jeokseong, Cheon Ho-seong, the Lord of Heavenly Martial Hall, and Ma Ryang, the Lord of Hell’s Shadow Hall. At first, Ma Ryang had underestimated Yeon Woo Jin, holding back his strength—only to be utterly humiliated. Ever since then, he had never fought him without giving his all. But the result was always the same—defeat. And to make matters worse, Yeon Woo Jin’s growth was beyond comprehension. At some point, he had become an opponent they could no longer face alone. The same realization hit Jeokseong and Cheon Ho-seong as well. So, for the first time in a long, long time, the three of them trained like madmen. Partly to satisfy Yeon Woo Jin, but also because they had come to understand just how much they had been slacking. And thanks to that, they had grown stronger. But no matter how much they improved—Yeon Woo Jin was improving even faster. Boom! Clang! The three warriors launched a furious assault on Yeon Woo Jin in unison. But every single strike was stopped by a strange, invisible barrier surrounding him. At first, they had thought it was a protective energy field. It wasn’t. It was something completely different. “Hahh... Hahh...” Yeon Woo Jin’s breathing grew heavy. “I suppose... opening just three gates isn’t enough anymore.” Hearing that, the three warriors grinned. “We worked hard too!” “Hahh... Yeah, I can tell. Well then, shall we continue?” A strange energy ripple surged around Yeon Woo Jin’s body. “Transcendence Gate—Five Gates Open.” The Transcendence Gates were the seals Yeon Woo Jin had placed upon his own strength. There were a total of eight gates, and up until now, he had never opened more than three. For the first time, he opened five. “To overwhelmingly defeat you all... I’ll need at least five gates open.” The very presence around him shifted. “Be careful. The young master’s strength increases exponentially with each gate he opens.” “We know.” “...Damn it. This is my first time experiencing it, though.” Jeokseong, Cheon Ho-seong, and Ma Ryang were around the same age and had formed a deep bond over time. And together, they had developed something specifically for this moment— A coordinated attack solely designed to fight Yeon Woo Jin. “Since the young master has opened the fifth gate, let’s use what we’ve prepared.” “Agreed!” “Are you both ready? Let’s go!” All three of them moved into perfect formation. Yeon Woo Jin’s eyes gleamed with interest. Ma Ryang’s Hell-Heaven Decapitation Blade and Cheon Ho-seong’s Lightning Death Sword blocked the skies. Meanwhile, Jeokseong used Dark Soul Divine Art to attack from below. They were certain. This time—he wouldn’t be able to dodge. Sure, he might block, but he would still take the impact. Clang! Boom! Crack! Three devastating attacks rained down from above and below. They expected him to either evade or raise his barrier. But instead— The swords and blades lying on the ground suddenly rose into the air. Then— They mirrored the very attacks that Ma Ryang and Cheon Ho-seong had unleashed. At the same time, Yeon Woo Jin stomped the ground with Tremor Step. Boom! The trembling earth stabilized instantly. Jeokseong, who had been lurking underground, was forced to surface—groaning in pain. He had gotten too close. And he had paid the price. As for Ma Ryang and Cheon Ho-seong, who had attacked from above— Their eyes nearly popped out of their skulls. “What the hell?! W-what is this?!” “This is insane! How is this even possible?!” Clang! Clang! Boom! Their own techniques came hurtling back at them. They barely managed to block the counterattack. Yeon Woo Jin, meanwhile, simply stood there—arms crossed—watching them with an amused expression. Ma Ryang and Cheon Ho-seong immediately retreated to the ground and charged forward. There was only one way to stop this. Attack Yeon Woo Jin directly. “Demonic Lightning Kill Slash!” “Hell-Piercing Sky Slash!” The two unleashed their ultimate techniques in desperation. But— Two floating blades suddenly flew toward them—intercepting their attacks. Clang! “...The young master’s Qi Manipulation Sword grows more ridiculous by the day.” “You’re missing the bigger problem! Didn’t you see?! He copied our attacks!” “...It’s the young master. That much is expected.” “Expected, my ass! I still can’t believe it!” “Shut up and keep blocking!” Sparks flew as weapons clashed. “Jeokseong, what are you doing?!” “He’s unconscious.” “Son of a—!” Ma Ryang quickly checked Jeokseong’s collapsed body, then spun around. Shhkkk—! A storm of daggers shot toward Yeon Woo Jin. Whoosh—! It was his trump card. But— It was instantly negated by Yeon Woo Jin’s absurd ability. “...Isn’t that a little much?” Ma Ryang stared in shock. The daggers he had just thrown were now floating in midair. And worse— They were slowly turning back toward him. There was no way he could win this. “...I surrender.” Ma Ryang lowered his head. Cheon Ho-seong sighed and dropped his sword. “I surrender too.” The moment they admitted defeat— The weapons hovering in the air clattered to the ground. Clang. Clatter. They had seen it countless times before—yet it never stopped being terrifying. There was something they needed to ask. Ma Ryang spoke first. “...How do you even know our techniques?” Cheon Ho-seong followed up. “Did you learn them from the Infinite Library?” Yeon Woo Jin shook his head. “No. I just watched you two use them and copied them.” “...What?” “...Excuse me?” Did they mishear? “...W-wait. Are you saying... you just saw us perform them once and then... used them yourself?” “That’s right. A little sloppy, though, wasn’t it?” Sloppy? It was cleaner and stronger than when they executed it. And he had copied them in real-time. Ma Ryang and Cheon Ho-seong stared in disbelief. Before them stood someone far worse than Yeon Cheon-baek— A monster beyond comprehension. “...Are you really not going to tell the Grandmaster about this?” “If my grandfather knew, he’d force me to take his position. I’ll let them find out after someone else becomes the next Martial God Sect leader.”