The World’s Strongest Is from a Third-Rate Martial Clan [Novel] Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Whoosh!

Having effortlessly deflected the sudden assault, Baek Yanghwi immediately whipped his head around toward a single direction.
There was nothing in sight save for lush trees and dense undergrowth, yet his razor-sharp senses had already detected the presence lurking behind them.

“Junior Sister. What is the meaning of this sudden attack?”

Instead of an answer, a beautiful melody echoed through the air.

Clang!

Swinging his sword, he shattered the incoming wave of qi embedded within the projected notes.

Whoosh!

“Are you simply going to launch attacks without a word of explanation?”

Only then did Jegal Seolha reveal her figure from behind the thicket.

“It has been a while, Senior Brother.”

Her face was proudly bared without a veil.
Judging by her appearance and bearing, she was a completely different person from before.

“Indeed, it has been a while. Yet you open with a blind assault.”

“Because it is an order from our master.”

Jegal Seolha playfully poked out her tongue and plucked the pipa she was holding.

Clang!

This time, instead of swinging his sword, he leaped into the air to evade the attack.
A cloud of dust billowed from the spot where he had been standing just moments prior.
He let out a low whistle.

“That is quite impressive for only half a year.”

Striking a target at a distance by projecting force through the air was an impossible feat for anyone in an ordinary martial realm.
A typical martial artist had to attain the profound realization of ‘mind and qi merging as one’ before they could expel qi outside their physical vessel.
Yet Jegal Seolha was infusing qi into the melodies of her pipa to launch ranged attacks.

“Our master is, after all, one of the Ten Sovereigns of the Heavenly Martial Realm. Though it has not been long since I reached the realm of projected notes.”

Clang!

Even so, the range of her attacks was still quite limited.
Baek Yanghwi evaded the projected notes merely by hopping in place, and just as he was about to speak again,

Clang!

“Whoa!”

A second string of projected notes surged toward him as he floated in midair.
This time, he had no choice but to frantically swing his sword to deflect them.

Whoosh!

“You can fire those back-to-back now?”

Infusing qi into sound was by no means an easy feat.
Judging that the interval between successive strikes could not possibly be short, he had chosen to leap, but her performance defied his expectations.

“I trained exceptionally hard while Senior Brother was away.”

He was impressed by the Sound Empress , of course, but Jegal Seolha’s talent also left him genuinely amazed.
Sound arts were notoriously difficult to enter, even among the myriad esoteric arts and martial disciplines.
After all, weaving qi into sound was an inherently arduous undertaking.
To think she was already displaying this level of martial prowess.

‘Still, she is no match for me.’

Judging from her remark that she was following orders, it seemed she wished to test how much she had grown during this period.
The Sound Empress was likely attempting to hint that he could progress much faster by continuing his tutelage directly under her.
Unfortunately for her, Senior Sister, this person standing before you has already reached the second-rate realm, Master.
Besides, choosing a surprise attack followed by a spar as the method of reunion?
She truly possessed a delightfully mischievous streak.

‘I shall humor your expectations and bring this to a swift close, Master.’

“I cannot simply stand here and take your blows. It is my turn now, Junior Sister.”

When dealing with practitioners of sound arts, closing the distance is paramount.
Because sound arts allow for long-range spatial attacks, they share tactical similarities with hidden weapons and archery.
Baek Yanghwi stepped onto the Ascending Heaven Footwork, rapidly narrowing the gap.

Clang-clang-clang!

A barrage of projected notes surged toward him in that exact instant. The intensity of the qi was two to three times more ferocious than before.
Baek Yanghwi retreated a step to widen the distance as he observed Jegal Seolha.
Though still slightly unpolished, her footwork unmistakably contained the profound principles of the One Step to Heaven.

‘She intends to force me into a dodge so she can buy distance.’

My apologies, but I have no intention of relinquishing the initiative over our spacing.
Baek Yanghwi’s sword quivered, emitting a sound akin to the beating wings of a swarm of bees.

The First Stance of the Heaven-Covering 108 Swords.
Piercing Rock with a Shot Feather.

A piercing thrust aimed directly at the dead center of the projected notes.
The vibration interfered with the incoming notes, shattering the sound waves completely.

“Ah!”

Before Jegal Seolha could let out a brief cry of astonishment, Baek Yanghwi had already closed the distance and arrived right in front of her.
Beaming at her startled expression, he tapped her lightly on the forehead.

“You have grown quite a bit, Junior Sister.”

“…Ah. I honestly did not expect to lose this easily.”

Just as Jegal Seolha’s cheeks puffed out in frustration,

Whoosh!

A gale swept through the clearing, and the Sound Empress ‘s ethereal figure materialized in the blink of an eye.

“The Young Hero never fails to exceed expectations.”

“Your unworthy disciple pays his respects to Master.”

The Sound Empress swept her gaze across Baek Yanghwi’s entire body as he cupped his fists in a formal martial salute.
He could feel a trace of formless qi sweeping over his physique, yet Baek Yanghwi deliberately remained unreactive.

“It is truly astonishing. If it were the current Seolha, I would have wagered she could fight you to a standstill.”

Her assessment was not unwarranted, given Jegal Seolha’s terrifying rate of growth.
It made complete sense that the Empress would hold such expectations.
Had he not retained the memories of his past life, he might have genuinely suffered defeat here.

‘Then again, she is the Soul-Stealing Demon Empress who caused the Blood Death Alliance calamity in my past life; it is only natural she possesses such caliber.’

Moreover, since those events stemmed from a maddened rampage induced by demonic arts, training properly under the guidance of one of the Ten Sovereigns in this lifetime would undoubtedly make her far more powerful than before.

‘Well, I intend to remain stronger than her for the foreseeable future, however.’

“Even so, she is my junior sister; I could hardly allow myself to lose to her.”

The corners of Baek Yanghwi’s lips curled upward as he replied, causing the Sound Empress to shake her head gently.

“That is only assuming you had received the same identical tutelage.”

The words carried the undeniable pride of one of the Ten Sovereigns of the Heavenly Martial Realm.
And it was an indisputable fact.

“It is truly fascinating. You had no external master guiding you, yet you grew at such an astonishing pace. To think you have already reached the second-rate realm.”

Jegal Seolha’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

“The second-rate realm? Senior Brother is… we should be the exact same age, or perhaps he is only a year older…”

“Even without receiving formal teachings from a master, to attain the second-rate realm at such a tender age… One cannot help but marvel at such innate martial talent.”

“I am the very prodigy your esteemed self once coveted, Master. This much is only to be expected.”

“Your silver tongue remains as sharp as ever. Furthermore… hmm?”

The Sound Empress ‘s eyes narrowed slightly.
Baek Yanghwi felt the flow of qi emanating from her concentrate directly upon his dantian.

“This energy. Young Hero. What on earth have you consumed?”

‘She has sensed the immortal pill.’

Though an immortal pill had always resided within Baek Yanghwi’s dantian, it had been a tiny, feeble entity during their previous encounter.
Consequently, the Empress had merely perceived a clean, mystical aura radiating from him.

‘This is a splendid opportunity. Since she is one of the Ten Sovereigns, she might possess knowledge regarding this.’

“While executing my family’s affairs, I stumbled upon a stroke of great fortune.”

Baek Yanghwi explained how he had acquired the legacy of the supreme master, presumed to be Sword Immortal Lu Dongbin.

“That is how it transpired. After swallowing the elixir, something akin to an inner core formed within me.”

“Hmm. The legacy of the Sword Immortal…”

Massaging her cheek as she sank into brief contemplation, the Empress finally parted her lips.

“Judging by the qi it emits, it certainly carries plausibility. At the very least, it does not appear to be exerting any malicious influence upon the Young Hero.”

“Do you happen to possess any knowledge regarding the Sword Immortal?”

“Among our sect’s patriarchs of past generations, there are indeed those whose paths intersected with the Sword Immortal.”

Given that the Chamber of Sacred Sound and Jade Spirits walked the path of immortality, it was a logical connection.

“It is said that the Sword Immortal… though whether he was the very first remains uncertain, he is undeniably a figure who successfully achieved ascension and transcended into the immortals’ realm.”

Ascension was not merely a myth, but an actual, achievable reality?
As Baek Yanghwi asked in open astonishment, the Empress nodded.

“Just as there are no rootless trees, neither are rumors and legends entirely devoid of truth.”

“Does that mean realms like the immortal realm and the Jade Emperor actually exist?”

“As for that, I cannot say for certain. However… the world is vast and boundless, far too immense for the limited sight of ordinary mortals to ever fully encompass.”

Gazing up at the sky with a distant, wistful look in her eyes, the Empress continued.

“If it is a legacy left behind by the Sword Immortal, then whatever bizarre phenomenon occurs should come as no surprise. You mentioned earlier that your energy possesses the property of nullifying devious sorcery, did you not?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

The neutralization of the Heartless Arts. The eradication of the evil spirits manipulated by the Ghost-Ridden White Demon.
None of these feats had been possible in his past life.

“The will of the heavens is something mere mortals dare not attempt to fathom. I know not. I truly know not. I, too, have a very long path yet to tread.”

Uttering these cryptic words, the Empress spoke of things beyond the comprehension even of Baek Yanghwi, who carried the memories of his past life.
Yet Baek Yanghwi did not press the matter further.
The suffocating, ethereal atmosphere radiating from the Empress discouraged any further inquiry.

“Be that as it may, if the Young Hero’s account is true, no harmful consequences should arise from it. Still, as your master, I cannot simply ignore this; I shall investigate it thoroughly.”

“My deepest gratitude, Master.”

Nodding, the Empress reached out and grasped both Baek Yanghwi and Jegal Seolha.
Suspended in midair by formless qi, Baek Yanghwi wore a questioning expression.

“Master?”

“We are returning to my residence.”

“I am quite capable of traveling under my own power at a reasonable speed now…”

“Even so, compared to this master of yours, you are no faster than a tortoise.”

The Empress smiled faintly. With a sudden swirl of wind, the scenery shifted instantly, and a neatly constructed estate materialized before them.

“Young Hero. Do you require time to recover from your journey?”

“I am quite fine, Master.”

“Splendid. I shall impart my teachings immediately.”

It seemed she had no intention of wasting time on mundane pleasantries between master and disciple.
Then again, such relentless efficiency was thoroughly characteristic of the Sound Empress .

“Very well!”

“Come to think of it, this is the first time I am formally instructing you.”

When he thought about it, that was indeed the case.
Previously, he had merely learned the One Step to Heaven by secretly observing her.
Though that had only been possible because the Empress deliberately allowed him to witness it.

“Let me ask you this. What is it that you wish to learn from me—from the Heaven-Shattering Sound Empress , one of the Ten Sovereigns of the Heavenly Martial Realm?”

“I shall gratefully accept whatever teachings you deign to bestow upon me.”

The Empress slowly shook her head.
Displaying such a gesture while retaining the physical appearance of a fourteen-or fifteen-year-old maiden made her look rather endearing.

“The Young Hero cannot inherit the martial arts of our sect. I am inevitably forced to restrict my teachings. Therefore, I wish to instruct you in whatever you wish to learn.”

“…”

Hearing the Empress’s words, Baek Yanghwi closed his eyes for a moment to introspect.
In his past life, he had wandered the martial world without a master, single-handedly reaching the ultra-peak realm entirely through self-study.
Naturally, it had not been flawless.
Though he had managed to create martial arts that entered the ranks of divine arts, they lacked the broad and deep foundations characteristic of orthodox martial arts.
To put it precisely, there remained ample room to elevate the overall standard of his martial arts to even greater heights.

‘It is a prime opportunity to patch up my shortcomings.’

Furthermore, he could even receive professional guidance on precisely what those shortcomings were.
After all, his master was none other than the Heaven-Shattering Sound Empress , one of the Ten Sovereigns of the Heavenly Martial Realm.

“Master. May I unsheath my sword?”

“Permission granted.”

Drawing his blade, Baek Yanghwi slowly set his body into motion.
Just as he had matched the intervals of the musical notes within the Hall of Sound among the Five Pavilions of Still Sound.
He demonstrated the Heaven-Covering 108 Swords to the Empress in the form of a single, continuous sword dance.

“This is a sword art this unpolished disciple has been cultivating. I beseech you, Master, point out its flaws and impart the methods to mend them.”

True to her status as one of the Ten Sovereigns, the Sound Empress instantly pierced through the profound principles of the Heaven-Covering 108 Swords.

“Heavy and swift. A sword art that simultaneously encompasses two contradictory directions. Truly, it lacks nothing to be designated a divine art.”

“Thank you for your excessive praise.”

“Hmm? That was a compliment directed at the martial art itself, not the Young Hero.”

‘I am the one who created this martial art, though.’

Since he could not voice those words aloud, he simply smiled and silently basked in his inward pride.
Meanwhile, the Empress continued.

“It easily holds the qualifications to be called an ultra-peak martial art, an ultimate technique. Yet, that is the extent of it.”

Was criticism to follow her praise?
Having her judgment bluntly cap his current limit stung just a fraction.

‘Naturally, since I created it while in the ultra-peak realm, it is only natural it does not contain anything beyond that.’

“However, it is not as though you cannot advance further. This is fascinating. A sword that manifests sound through swiftness and weight.”

She was referring to the phoenix-like cry that echoed when the first half of the stances was condensed into a single sword stroke.

“I had never intended to teach sound arts to a Young Hero who pursues the path of the sword… but if it has come to this, matters change.”

Amusement bloomed across the Empress’s face.

“Young Hero. As your master, I issue a command. Within three days, forge a single melody of your own.”

A look of sheer bewilderment washed over Baek Yanghwi’s face.

“Pardon?”

You wish for me to suddenly compose music?