The World’s Strongest Is from a Third-Rate Martial Clan [Novel] Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Jegal Seolha stared at Baek Yanghwi, who held his sword against the Black Death Sword’s throat, with a slightly dazed expression.

‘Senior Brother… is truly fascinating.’

Even now, Baek Yanghwi’s internal image remained vividly clear in Jegal Seolha’s eyes.
A rock that appeared rough and unyielding despite being covered in wounds and scars.
Or perhaps an internal image that felt like an egg harboring something vast within.
Though she called him her senior brother, they were the exact same age.
How could someone of the same age harbor such a steadfast internal image?

‘The person who… dragged me out into the world. The person who allowed me to find my courage.’

Ever since the onset of her Heavenly Punishment, her father’s arms had been her entire world.
Yet after meeting Baek Yanghwi, she became capable of taking her own steps forward.
And upon meeting a master like the Sound Empress, she even gained the hope of escaping her Heavenly Punishment.
Naturally, Jegal Seolha could not help but harbor a certain emotion toward Baek Yanghwi.
A deep admiration.

‘I worked so hard under Master’s teachings to catch up to him.’

Not even a year had passed since she became a disciple of the Chamber of Sacred Sound and Jade Spirits, yet she had already mastered the fundamentals.
According to the Sound Empress, her achievement was exceptionally rapid, rare even when looking back through past generations.

‘Yet the distance between us grew even further.’

Attaining the second-rate realm at the mere age of nine.
Even for an heir to a world-renowned Great Family, achieving such a feat was by no means easy.
At the earliest, one reached it at age ten, and even then, barely stepping into the initial threshold of the second-rate realm.
Even if one received a marrow cleansing immediately upon birth and learned martial arts from the moment they began to crawl, that was the absolute limit.
In a way, it was a natural outcome.
A child’s comprehension and an adult’s comprehension could not be equal, and mastering martial arts required exceptional comprehension.

‘I want to become like Senior Brother.’

Children naturally grow by following in the footsteps of those who walked before them.
To Jegal Seolha, Baek Yanghwi was an object of admiration, a person she yearned to resemble.
The previous duel replayed itself within her mind.

—”Drop dead!”
—”Damn it to hell!”
—”Are you not ashamed to call yourself a senior while begging a child to go easy on you?”
—”Will you kill me? You cannot kill me anyway. All talk, as always.”

As the cherished jewel of the Jegal Family, her experiences meeting other people were virtually nonexistent due to her Heavenly Punishment.
To someone like Jegal Seolha, Baek Yanghwi’s words and actions… were exceedingly unfamiliar, yet looked incredibly cool.

‘He must be speaking like that on purpose so he does not lose the battle of momentum, right?’

In truth, it was merely a speech habit that stuck with him from rolling around as a vagabond.

‘To speak his mind so freely without flinching against such a terrifying man.’

In terms of mental age, he was practically on par with the Black Death Sword.
His martial prowess had also been higher originally.

‘He is strong. So strong that it is hard to believe he is the same age as me. Senior Brother is incredible.’

Thus, Jegal Seolha naturally developed a slight misunderstanding regarding Baek Yanghwi.
It was because the things Baek Yanghwi demonstrated and accomplished were far too extraordinary.
Furthermore, the current situation only served to reinforce that impression.

‘Against a master far older and higher in realm… he gained enlightenment in the middle of battle. He combined Master’s teachings with his own martial arts.’

It was by no means an ordinary feat.
It was a grand achievement that felt as though it belonged solely to a heroic knight in an ancient tale, lacking nothing to be called a miraculous accomplishment.
And after accomplishing such a feat, the words he uttered while pressing his blade to the Black Death Sword’s throat:

—”Senior. How does it feel to be defeated by a greenhorn brat?”

Baek Yanghwi’s words were deeply engraved into Jegal Seolha’s mind.

‘So cool.’

Without realizing it, Jegal Seolha moved her tongue and lips.

“Damn it… to hell…”

Regrettably, no one heard Jegal Seolha’s tiny, faint whisper.

* * *

A month had passed since the battle against the Black Death Sword.
During that time, Baek Yanghwi focused entirely on seamlessly harmonizing his new enlightenment with the Heaven-Covering 108 Swords.
The core of this new insight, named Resonant Vibration, was to utilize every sound a sword could produce as a medium to manifest sound arts.

‘Phoenix Cry Vibration. If I fuse them into one, it will inherently grant me a matchup advantage over other martial arts.’

The reason Baek Yanghwi, a second-rate martial artist, achieved victory over a first-rate master like the Black Death Sword was precisely this matchup advantage.
Every martial art possessed distinct advantages and disadvantages against others.
A martial art containing the principles to break Art A might have its weak points exploited by Art B.

‘Hardness is weak against softness. Softness can be pierced through swiftness.’

As long as each technique possessed unique characteristics and flows, a cycle of mutual countering was inevitable.

‘If I melt Resonant Vibration into every stance, I can secure a matchup advantage against most martial arts.’

To achieve this, he had to modify the stances slightly and alter the texture of the overall flow.
Even with the memories and enlightenment of his past life, it was a arduous task that could never be completed in a single month.
However.

“That is a fascinating idea, Young Hero. What if we try it like this?”

Beside Baek Yanghwi stood the Sound Empress, one of the Ten Sovereigns of the Heavenly Martial Realm.
An absolute master who had reached a realm beyond the heavens, a height he had never attained even in his past life.

“Your sword is swift yet heavy. It fuses two contradictory principles splendidly. To use a musical metaphor, mmm.”

Clang, thump!

As the Sound Empress flicked her fingers, a low, heavy note resonated in a rapid rhythm.
The tune was oddly reminiscent of the Heaven-Covering 108 Swords.

“It feels something like this. Do you understand?”
“Yes. Thank you, Master.”

In this manner, whenever she had free time while instructing Jegal Seolha, the Sound Empress helped refine Baek Yanghwi’s martial arts.
The advice of a martial artist who had ascended beyond the ultra-peak realm to the Transcendent Realm—or perhaps even higher—was worth far more than a thousand pieces of gold.
Was that all?
The Sound Empress’s guidance was not restricted to the sword.

“Did you say it was called the Six Harmonies Physical Art?”
“That is correct, Master.”

Even during the days spent absorbing new enlightenment, Baek Yanghwi never forgot his daily foundational training.
Meaning, he tempered his physical vessel through the Six Harmonies Physical Art and developed his acupoints through the Harmonious Heaven Qi.

“A splendid attitude. A single day at a young age is worth a month in the future. Foundations can never be polished enough. However, your foundation appears deep yet lacks width.”

After brief consideration, the Sound Empress imparted teachings regarding the foundational martial arts of the Chamber of Sacred Sound and Jade Spirits.

“I cannot pass down our sect’s true divine arts, but broadening your foundation should be harmless.”

The Chamber of Sacred Sound and Jade Spirits was a sect with roots deep enough to contest for supreme status under heaven in both sound arts and movement techniques.
As a result of receiving a portion of those teachings, the Six Harmonies Physical Art evolved from a mere physical conditioning exercise into a type of movement technique.

“How about naming it the Six Harmonies Body Conditioning Art?”

Six Harmonies Body Conditioning Art. Unifying the principles of the Six Harmonies into one to temper the physical vessel.
A dynamic exercise, yet a movement technique. A martial art of manipulating the body.

‘As expected of one of the Ten Sovereigns. To think she could create such a martial art on the spot.’

Cultivating internal energy through movement while incorporating the principles of body maneuvering allowed it to function as both a lightness art and footwork.
It was a foundational art capable of expanding infinitely in various directions.

“I offer my deepest gratitude for your grace, Master. I shall make the Six Harmonies Body Conditioning Art the foundation of the Baek Family and pass it down through generations.”

Though he had passed down the Heaven-Covering 108 Swords and the Harmonious Heaven Qi, the Baek Family’s martial library was still severely lacking.
They lacked any fist or palm techniques, and there were no intermediate martial arts to bridge the gap for developing disciples.
Now, the people of the Baek Family could build their absolute basics through the Six Harmonies Physical Art, and then choose their path forward through the Six Harmonies Body Conditioning Art.

‘It shares commonalities with the principles of the Ascending Heaven Footwork, making it a perfect foundation for lightness arts. I have received an immense favor.’

Once again, he found himself looking at the Sound Empress with eyes full of reverence.
Though he often forgot due to her appearance resembling a fifteen-year-old girl, she was indeed an absolute master standing atop the world.

‘…However, hmmm. I suddenly feel curious.’

“Master. May I ask a single question?”
“Speak.”
“May I inquire as to your age?”

The Sound Empress’s fingers, which were weaving melodies while traversing through midair, came to a dead stop.
In that instant, a chilling sensation ran down Baek Yanghwi’s spine, and he tensed his entire body to the extreme limit.

“Young Hero.”
“…Yes, Master.”

The Sound Empress smiled brightly.

“I shall impart a lesson.”
“I am listening intently.”
“Excessive curiosity brings about misfortune, and inquiring about a lady’s age is quite rude.”
“I… I shall keep that deeply in mind.”

A sudden gust swept through, and the Sound Empress vanished.
Only then did Baek Yanghwi let out a long sigh of relief.

“Phew, I thought I was going to die.”

Since he was her disciple, she would not actually kill him, but the terrifying pressure that radiated from her for that brief instant was genuine.
It seemed her age was a touchy subject.

‘To think her age was her sore spot. That is… well, quite human of her, I suppose.’

A sudden thought crossed his mind.
It was said that undergoing a complete rebirth granted a person the ideal physical vessel they envisioned.
Could returning to youth be something similar?

‘In that case, the ideal body Master envisioned…’

That was far enough.
He should not think any further.
Shaking his head vigorously, he cleared away those dangerous thoughts.

“Senior Brother.”
“Whoa, you scared me.”

Jegal Seolha suddenly poked her head out from around the corner.
Preoccupied with his vivid thoughts and the recent near-death experience, he had failed to sense her approach.

“Junior Sister. What is it?”
“I was bored while training. I came to hang out with you, Senior Brother.”
“Ah.”

Though blessed with overflowing talent and an earnest work ethic, Jegal Seolha was still a nine-year-old child.
At that age, getting bored at every turn was only natural.

“You want me to entertain you?”
“That, and… could you take a look at my martial arts?”

It would be better to ask the Sound Empress to review her martial arts.
Mmm, did she want to show off?

“Sure. Show me what you have got.”
“Yes!”

Jegal Seolha clapped her hands right in front of Baek Yanghwi’s face.
In that instant, a wave of qi erupted alongside the sharp sound of the clap.

“Why, you little?!”

Because he was already holding his sword, he immediately vibrated his blade with Resonant Vibration to defend himself.
He almost got caught off guard and taken down.

“What is the meaning of this insolence? I should smack you!”

Seeing Baek Yanghwi raise his hand, Jegal Seolha answered nonchalantly.

“What does it matter? I did it because I knew Senior Brother could easily block it.”

The look on Jegal Seolha’s face as she spoke held a level of conviction that felt almost blind.
When someone trusted him to that extent, it made it awkward to complain.

“Anyway, why did you do that out of nowhere?”
“I was trying to infuse qi into sound and launch it, but it feels far too slow.”

Sound was naturally a faster means of attack than almost anything else.
People often used the phrase ‘swift as an arrow’ to describe speed.
Yet sound was inherently faster than a shot arrow.

“Just because you infuse qi into sound does not mean everything becomes fast. Sound itself is fast, but the speed at which you manipulate your qi is a completely separate matter, Junior Sister.”

When he offered this simple piece of advice, Jegal Seolha smiled brightly.

“I see. Thank you, Senior Brother. But I have one more favor to ask.”
“What is it this time?”
“You will be leaving the mountain soon, right, Senior Brother?”
“That is right. It has already been nearly two months since I arrived here.”

A deep sense of disappointment washed over Jegal Seolha’s face.
To Jegal Seolha, who spent her days strictly training alone with the Sound Empress, the arrival of a peer like Baek Yanghwi had been a special joy in her daily routine.
Pouting her lips for a moment, Jegal Seolha continued.

“My favor is this. Here.”

What Jegal Seolha handed to him was a single letter.