Martial Arts Ain't Anything Special-Chapter 112: Supreme Force Monstrous Divine Art (2)

Namgung Hyeok couldn’t tell if they were mocking him or being serious.

He had clearly heard that this Lee Seojun had been with the Namgung Clan for less than a year.

And yet, what was he claiming?

That he had created two man-grade divine arts and one earth-grade divine art?

That he had held off the Qilian Sect Leader and earned remarkable military merit?

That he had even played a major role in developing a new spirit pill?

Preposterous.

And what was this nonsense about a martial art that made breaking through the Life and Death Entrance easier? Such a thing had never once appeared in the long history of the martial world.

He could have dismissed it if it had been just Seojun bragging, but the Clan Head himself was backing him up.

That made it impossible to understand the situation.

Did the Clan Head have any reason to lie? If not, then... were these outrageous claims actually true? But that was absurd.

It made no sense—logically or emotionally. It was impossible no matter how he thought about it. Even Ju Wooncheon, called the Martial God, hadn’t accomplished feats like these.

Creating three divine arts in such a short time? That alone was ridiculous, but suddenly becoming proficient in alchemy on top of that?

My goodness...

It was as if they were deliberately trying to insult him.

Had they decided he was an outsider just because he’d been away from the clan for so long?

Namgung Hyeok closed his eyes tightly.

He had spent years secluded in the mountains, focusing on cultivation. He knew almost nothing about the Namgung Clan’s current state.

If he hadn’t heard a passing rumor in Anhui about the Sword Form of the Emperor, he wouldn’t have returned at all.

And now, this.

A complete disregard for traditions that had endured for thousands of years.

That, he could not tolerate. He took immediate action, but now that the situation had developed this way, he had no idea what was going on.

And as he stood there, Seojun and Namgung Jincheon continued their conversation as if he weren’t even there.

“Father-in-law, what’s the other man-grade divine art? I don’t remember making another one.”

“There’s the Heaven-Man Divine Pill Art...”

“What? That? Why would that be a divine art?”

“A martial art that allows the creation of a divine pill is naturally a divine art, isn’t it...?”

“Ah. When you put it that way, I guess it makes sense.”

Namgung Hyeok couldn’t take it anymore.

“Clan Head! You must take responsibility for these outrageous claims!”

“I will...”

Namgung Jincheon nodded calmly. Since everything was true, there was nothing to be concerned about.

Watching them, Chunbong had only one thought.

This bastard. What the hell has he been up to while I was gone?

She had heard about it before, but hearing it all laid out like this was absurd.

Were these really the achievements of one person in less than a year?

If Seojun had been with the Divine Sword Geum Clan before its downfall...

Slap!

Chunbong smacked her own cheek and shook her head.

Seojun reacted instantly.

“My chubby cheeks...!”

His large hand grabbed Chunbong’s reddened cheek and rubbed it.

Chunbong sighed.

“That guy seems really pissed off. Is this okay?”

“Who cares? What could be more important than this?”

Only after confirming her cheek wasn’t injured did Seojun finally grin. Then he straightened his back and turned to Namgung Hyeok.

“I understand your concerns, but I would never do anything to harm the Namgung Clan.”

“And how am I supposed to believe that? Besides, the Sword Form of the Emperor isn’t something that can be handed out so easily—even if you claim you won’t harm Namgung.”

“Then I just need to prove it, right?”

“Prove what?”

“My qualifications.”

Seojun tilted his head, hands clasped behind his back.

It was an arrogant posture.

Namgung Hyeok’s brow furrowed, but he couldn’t ignore the sudden shift in Seojun’s qi pressure.

As if his previous lack of presence had been a lie, his qi surged, filling the Clan Head’s hall.

Namgung Hyeok instinctively responded in kind.

Rumble!

His qi rose like a tidal wave, pressing against Seojun’s. But it could advance no more than halfway. In fact, it actually receded slightly.

“What...”

Namgung Hyeok’s eyes trembled.

Qi wasn’t everything in a martial artist’s strength, yet how could this man match his presence so effortlessly?

Seojun stepped closer, locking eyes with him.

“Will that do?”

Behind him, a faint figure emerged—an emperor gazing down upon the earth from the heavens.

Namgung Hyeok’s face turned crimson.

“Those words... I shall make you regret them.”

“Really?”

Seojun’s smile didn’t waver.

“I don’t think so.”

*Namgung Hyeok left, fuming. He had promised to return soon.

As he disappeared down the hall, Seojun subtly raised his middle finger at his retreating back.

Then, turning to Namgung Myeong, he sighed.

“Oh brother. That must have been tough.”

“Huh? No. It wasn’t really...”

“Come on, it was tough. He didn’t even let you speak. What kind of guy does that?”

Seojun had heard that the man was his father-in-law’s great-uncle, but what had he been doing all this time? Locked away somewhere, only to suddenly come out and intimidate the Young Master?

Sure, as a great elder of the clan, he deserved some respect. But even so, to act so boldly in front of the Clan Head?

Had he lost his mind?

In a way, one could call it courage. Whether it stemmed from Namgung Hyeok’s devotion to the Namgung Clan or an inferiority complex regarding the Sword Form of the Emperor, no one could say for sure.

Strictly speaking, considering the generational hierarchy, wasn’t Namgung Hyeok someone worthy of respect?

The martial world valued generational hierarchies and rank. Given that, his actions might not have been entirely improper.

Even though he had secluded himself in the mountains, he had never been formally removed from the family register.

Even the Clan Head treated him with respect.

Well, putting aside the complicated details—

Seojun, who had completely decided on not trying to understand it, grinned.

“By the way, I’m surprised. Brother, you actually know how to speak your mind? You’re just—boom!”

“We are the Namgung Clan, not the Namgung Sect or the Namgung Faction.”

As Seojun mimicked him with an exaggeratedly solemn posture, Namgung Myeong gave an awkward smile.

“It’s the truth. The Namgung Clan isn’t a sect centered around a single teaching or martial art. It stands firm in the Central Plains by the strength of the Namgung name itself. If we forget that, our foundation becomes blurred.”

“Oh...”

He really did have the bearing of a Young Master. His perspective was clear.

While his thoughts seemed to diverge somewhat from Namgung Jincheon’s, they were clearly influenced by him.

“But are you really okay, brother? Who knows what conditions that great granduncle will set to prove your qualifications...”

“It doesn’t really matter.”

Seojun grinned.

“What’s the worst that could happen if I fail?”

It wasn’t as if he had promised to destroy his dantian or anything ridiculous.

Sure, his reputation might take a slight hit, but he’d never lived his life caring about such things anyway.

“Um... I guess?”

“And honestly... proving my qualifications doesn’t seem like it would be too difficult.”

He wasn’t sure what exactly counted as a qualification for learning the Sword Form of the Emperor, but it was bound to involve martial arts.

As long as they didn’t expect him to duel his father-in-law and win, he was confident.

“If Great Uncle goes too far, I’ll step in. Don’t worry, son-in-law...”

“Of course. I trust you, Father-in-law.”

Moreover, his father-in-law was on his side.

And really, wasn’t having the Azure Sky Sword Venerable, Namgung Jincheon, on his side the ultimate insurance? He felt so secure that he feared nothing.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to prepare.

The Hall Master of the Heavenly Medicine Hall had said he’d contact him when everything was ready, but there was no harm in visiting early.

“Then for now, I’ll head to the Heavenly Medicine Hall...”

“Hey! My martial art!”

“Ah.”

Right. He had momentarily forgotten in all the chaos with Namgung Hyeok. It seemed he hadn’t interfered in other family matters.

Seojun turned toward Pae Jingwang, just as Namgung Jincheon raised an eyebrow.

“Senior, you’re planning to teach my son-in-law your martial art...? The Supreme Force Monstrous Divine Art...?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Not exactly... but is that alright...?”

Pae Jingwang nodded confidently.

“To begin with, the Supreme Force Monstrous Divine Art was designed for me. There aren’t many suitable candidates to inherit it. But this guy recovers quickly even when his body is destroyed. That makes learning it a lot easier. Most people wouldn’t even be able to practice it, let alone master it.”

“I see... Thank you...”

“What are you thanking me for? I’m teaching him, not you.”

Namgung Jincheon simply smiled.

“Strange fellow.”

Pae Jingwang let out a wry chuckle.

*The Heaven Demon Divine Pill—or maybe the Heaven-Man Demonic Pill? Seojun still hadn’t decided on a name, so he put off its creation for now and made his way to the training ground.

Along the way, he asked Namgung Suah about Namgung Hyeok, but she shook her head.

“I don’t know much about him, actually. This was my first time meeting him in person. I’ve only heard about him a few times.”

“Really? He wasn’t around?”

“No. He left the clan and went into seclusion long before I was born.”

Seojun frowned as he processed that information.

“Wait. Then how did he hear about the Sword Form of the Emperor? Did he rush over the moment he found out? No way he just stumbled upon that news by chance.”

“Who knows?”

Namgung Suah gave an awkward smile.

Pae Jingwang, who had been picking his ear, suddenly spoke up.

“Why waste time worrying about it? Just do what you gotta do. Whatever that guy’s up to, Namgung Jincheon will handle it. You’ll sleep easier if you just focus on training.”

“Old man, you can’t live life with that mindset. You’ll get caught off guard.”

“Shut up. And stop using those weird foreign words. They’re hard to understand.”

“If you don’t understand, you should study more.”

Pae Jingwang ignored him completely and stepped into the center of the training ground.

The Fist King.

A crushing aura descended, pressing down on the training ground.

To be given the title of King meant one had authority akin to a ruler in that domain.

Generally, those close to the Unrestrained Realm—or at its very entrance—were called Kings.

The reason Pae Jingwang was called the Fist King instead of the Huangbo Clan Head, who was an Unrestrained Realm martial artist was simple: Pae Jingwang’s mastery of fist techniques was superior.

Rumor had it the Huangbo Clan Head wasn’t too pleased about that fact, but Pae Jingwang still had all four limbs intact.

Even the Huangbo Clan, one of the Six Great Clans, couldn’t afford to interfere with him recklessly.

As his imposing presence spread across the training ground, Chunbong and Namgung Suah’s faces turned pale.

“Huh? You’re not controlling your qi at all? Just letting it loose like that?”

Seojun, of course, didn’t care about that qi nonsense or whatever. With a casual wave of his hand, he dispelled the suffocating pressure, ensuring it didn’t affect Chunbong and Namgung Suah.

“Haaah...!”

Chunbong let out a shaky breath, her eyes trembling.

The gap was staggering. Whether it was between her and the Fist King, or her and her brother.

Seeing her reaction, Pae Jingwang scratched his head.

“Uh, sorry. I was just trying to establish some authority and got carried away...”

“Are you serious? The so-called Fist King can’t even control his qi properly?”

“I’m not good at handling inner qi.”

“This is ridiculous, really.”

Are these the Transcendent Realm masters?

Chunbong felt faint and couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

“Haah... Big sis, this isn’t going to work. We need to quickly become stronger. Otherwise, I’ll die from the injustice!”

“Fufu, then I should work hard too. If I become stronger than Seojun... yes. Then I could handle everything myself and let him live a spoiled life.”

Chunbong looked horrified.

“You’re going to lock him up!?”

“Not lock him up. He’s always doing dangerous things, so I just want to protect him.”

That was what she said. But her expression...

Chunbong slowly edged away.

Imprisonment...?

Making him focus only on her, spoiling him endlessly...

Stopping him with force when he tried something reckless, sitting on him like a queen, sneering...

“Oh, Queen Chunbong! Would you like some tanghulu?”

“Ohoho! Yes, do that.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

That doesn’t sound bad at all?

Chunbong giggled as her imagination ran wild.

I wonder what she’s thinking about now?

Namgung Suah, watching her, smiled contentedly.

*“The name Supreme Force Monstrous Divine Art was actually given by people who didn’t understand it. The name stuck, so that’s what it’s called.”

As Pae Jingwang transmitted the sutra to Seojun, he explained its origins.

“From the start, I never made clear distinctions—I just threw in everything I could do. That’s why it’s hard to define. It’s a fist technique, a training method, a footwork technique... basically, it contains everything I’ve lived and learned.”

“Your life...”

“Yeah. I’m teaching you my life.”

He said it casually, but it wasn’t such an extraordinary notion.

Some martial artists cherished their techniques like their own lives. Others found fulfillment in passing them down, watching a new seedling grow.

Pae Jingwang grinned.

“Consider it an honor, kid.”