The Immortal’s Martial Arts. (3)

Wuuuuuuung-!!

Yu Seol’s fist emitted a majestic sound and was vibrating.

Yu Jinsan, who had been watching the sight in a daze, blinked with wide eyes.

“…Fist Cry?”

What was Fist’s cry.

It meant the cry that a fist emits.

Of course, Yu Jinsan had never seen it in his life; it was a legendary realm passed down only in theory.

Who could produce such a vibration with a body part rather than a weapon?

As the wondrous scene unfolded before him, Meng Nam-cheon murmured, his eyes reddening.

“My master once said in life: if you can put a soul into a fist, a single strike can bring down the heavens.”

To him, Yu Seol’s fist looked exactly like that.

A whirlwind of thunder and lightning wrapped around the fist.

From the increasingly violent agitation and condensation of qi, waves of immense power with no discernible limit could be felt.

What kind of force would this release?

Watching the demonstration of the Wind-Heart Fist, Yu Jinsan and Meng Nam-cheon gripped their hands in sweat.

Some time passed like that.

A roaring qi, like a lion’s shout, burst from between Yu Seol’s lips.

“Yaap!!!”

In an instant, Yu Seol’s fist shot forward like a lightning spear, emitting the power of a fist.

Sshhhh-!!

An unbelievable sight was unfolding before their eyes.

When the colossal inner power was unleashed in an instant, it began to raze everything in front of it.

Kwak kwak kwak kwang-!!!

The result surpassed imagination.

Dozens of trees snapped simultaneously and were hurled indiscriminately through the air.

On the ground, as if an earth serpent had passed, a long trench had been carved out.

The qi whirlwind, laden with thick dust, advanced for dozens of paces before finally dispersing.

Yu Jinsan was left speechless at the destructive power that defied reason.

“…Huh.”

There was nothing left where the Wind Heart Fist had swept through.

In that moment he was certain: no martial art in the Murim could exert more power than this.

Then Yu Seol, her face somewhat pale, asked sneakily.

“How was it? Am I cool?”

Yu Jinsan, who had been dazed for a moment, snapped back to attention and replied.

“Oh? Oh, yes. But you say this was just an imitation?”

“Yes. The discharge hasn’t been refined yet. At this rate you can’t use it in a fight.”

As his granddaughter said, the striking range was all over the place.

Moreover, in real combat, unlike a demonstration, you must deliver it in the blink of an eye with minimal breath; otherwise the opponent will evade.

But if the Wind-Heart Fist were perfected and these flaws corrected?

It would surely become an unparalleled, deadly martial art.

“Even so, anyone struck properly would die in one blow. Keep researching it well.”

Even Yu Jinsan was not confident he could withstand the Wind Heart Fist.

If hit, whether it was the Vajra Indestructible Divine Arts or whatever, it would be a fight to the death.

Judging by raw power alone, it could well be called an immortal’s martial art.

But it did not have only advantages.

His granddaughter muttered with half-lidded eyes.

“Grandpa, I’m sleepy…”

She looked obviously exhausted.

It seemed the instantaneous release of such enormous internal qi had consumed a great deal of her strength.

After speaking, Yu Seol sprawled out under the plum tree.

She soon began to drift into sleep with soft breathing.

It took less than a single breath for her to fall asleep.

It was possible because she had reached a state where she could control her sleep at will.

Watching his granddaughter sleep for a moment, Yu Jinsan couldn’t help but snort a laugh.

‘She must be tired. She forced out an unfinished martial art…’

Yu Jinsan quietly moved their spot with Meng Nam-cheon so his granddaughter could sleep soundly.

Once they reached a quiet place, Meng Nam-cheon, flushed, opened his mouth.

“Based on the testament of the Soyo Mountain Villa, the era’s number one under heaven is none other than the Yin Monster great hero.”

It was a weighty statement uttered by the manor’s sect leader himself.

That his only bloodline was the world’s best—Yu Jinsan felt like dancing with joy.

But he couldn’t ignore propriety.

So he forced himself to compose his expression and spoke.

“I’m grateful for the high praise for the Yin Monster, but how can one assert he is the best in the world in such a vast realm?”

“You’re not the only one who thinks so. All martial artists in this region already regard him that way.”

Was it because of the crowd who had witnessed what happened at Soyo Mountain Villa?

It seemed the rumors spread by their mouths had made it so.

Yu Jinsan looked pleased as he gazed at the distant clouds.

‘In the rush, our Seol’s reputation has risen this much.’

Looking back, they had traveled across the Central Plains, following a storm-like course.

In that process, how many incidents had stirred up the martial world?

So far, everything had been unfolding smoothly.

Now it was time to put a period on Yin Monster’s ascent to supremacy.

“Still, you’ll have to defeat the Murim Alliance leader. Make it official before everyone.”

Although she had fled, delaying the match because of an injured left arm, next time she intended to finish it for sure.

“But will that devilish nun accept Yin Monster great hero’s challenge willingly? Her nature is vile; she’d avoid a fair fight…”

A meaningful smile crossed Yu Jinsan’s face.

“We must create an unavoidable trap. I’ll tell you the details later.”

He had something in mind, but it wasn’t decided yet.

“Whenever and wherever the duel is, I’ll definitely come to root for her.”

“Do so. We’ll make a separate invitation for the sect leader.”

At Yu Jinsan’s joke, Meng Nam-cheon’s face broke into a faint smile for the first time.

The two, chatting quietly, took a walk around the manor and then returned to their respective pavilions.

After the war, Soyo Mountain Manor was full of peace. Still, the grandfather and grandchild continued to stay here.

They needed rest after having marched relentlessly without pause.

They had started from Shaanxi, swept through western Sichuan, passed Guizhou and Guangxi, and even occupied Sea Dragon Island in the south.

Afterward, through Guangdong and Jiangxi, they came to this Zhejiang Province. They had truly carved through every corner of the martial world.

In the process, the duel between his granddaughter and the tempest wanderer was canceled, but the goal was essentially achieved.

Anyway, considering their recent rampage, it was time to take a short rest.

And one more thing: there was someone they were to wait for and meet here.

‘Hmm. It seems our Seol doesn’t want to come in today either.’

Yu Jinsan remained in his chamber for the day without any special events.

His granddaughter had been researching the Wind-Heart Fist all day and hadn’t shown her face.

Thus Yu Jinsan spent his time alone practicing internal skill.

While bored, he was watching the moonlight outside the window for a moment.

“…Hm?”

He sensed someone’s presence outside.

“Elder, are you inside?”

From the voice, it was a young disciple of Soyo Mountain Villa attending to guests.

It was the first time this kid had come at such a late hour.

“Alright. Tell me your business.”

“Guests from outside have come looking for you, Elder. They are two women…”

At last, it seemed the persons they had been waiting for had arrived.

Yu Jinsan dusted himself off, stood, and headed straight for the door.

Creak-!

“Show them in.”

“Yes. But won’t you ask who they are?”

“I already know.”

There was no need to ask.

How many people would come to this distant place? And if it’s two women, their identity was as good as certain.

Yu Jinsan followed him to the pavilion where the guests were staying.

It wasn’t far, so it didn’t take long.

As he guessed, a familiar figure stood in the yard in front of the door.

“Long time no see, Elder.”

A female swordsman in a black robe with a bamboo hat pulled down.

She was a bodyguard of Eun Hwa-rin, a powerhouse of the Black Night Clan.

He had seen her several times before.

“Your martial arts seem to have improved a lot. There won’t be many who can stand against you now.”

Her martial arts, once merely at their peak, had reached a superlative level. He could also feel a dignified inner power unlike before.

Her rate of growth was truly astonishing.

Had Eun Hwa-rin bought a Spiritual Pill and fed it to her? As a heavy hitter of the Black Night Clan with plentiful resources, she could well have done so.

“You’re flattering me. Please, come in.”

Yu Jinsan nodded once and immediately headed into the pavilion.

When he flung the door open, he saw Eun Hwa-rin pouring tea into a cup.

“Greetings, Elder.”

“It’s good to see you again after so long. I expected contact, but I didn’t think you’d come in person.”

“I happened to be nearby. Please, sit.”

Yu Jinsan sat opposite her at a small table.

“You came at the right time. We must have many questions for each other.”

The Black Night Clan was the unparalleled, top information organization among the heterodox factions.

She too had more than a few things she wanted to confirm with Yu Jinsan.

“I don’t know where to start. Are all the rumors spread here true?”

“Hmm. The rumors about the White Flower Blood Cult? Or those concerning the Murim Alliance?”

Eun Hwa-rin slid the teacup toward Yu Jinsan as she answered.

“Both.”

“I thought so. I’ll tell you everything now, so filter what you need to.”

Yu Jinsan told her everything that had happened here.

How they defended Soyo Mountain Manor against the White Flower Blood Cult, and how his granddaughter raided the sect and finished it off.

He also recounted the two bouts in which they fought several elders of the Murim Alliance.

Having heard the full story, Eun Hwa-rin looked extremely surprised.

“So it was true that Hwa Ryong-gae of the Beggars Union and Elder Mu-jin died. Those were such formidable people…”

“Formidable? They were just henchmen of that vicious nun.”

“This incident will likely shake the Murim Alliance’s cohesion and narrow the Murim Alliance leader’s position.”

Yu Jinsan nodded vigorously as if pleased.

“Of course it should be so. From now on, I plan to destroy everything about that woman.”

“Then do you plan to confront the Murim Alliance leader again?”

“That’s the plan. But didn’t you say there was one more left? I think you mentioned someone on the northern great plain.”

Eun Hwa-rin smiled and said.

“You need not worry about that person. According to our inquiry, the rumor was exaggerated. He is not of a level that would require your granddaughter to face him directly.”

“That’s a nuisance less to worry about, good. So now only one remains?”

“Yes. If you defeat the Murim Alliance leader, your granddaughter will become the supreme of the Murim.”

“Then first you must send out a formal challenge.”

Eun Hwa-rin tilted her head in question.

“In what manner do you mean? It doesn’t seem easy to make it happen.”

“I intend to announce it widely so all martial artists in the realm will know—if you help.”

“Of course we’ll help. What is it?”

Yu Jinsan emptied his teacup and smiled as he spoke.

“To post challenge notices on billboards across the martial world.”

The duel between the Murim Alliance leader and the Yin Monster would become the martial world’s greatest spectacle.

It would be a match wagering the undisputed position of the world’s best.

The rumor would surely spread across the entire martial world in no time.

“A very good idea. When are you thinking of scheduling it?”

“About a year from now. As is customary in the murim world.”

Official duel challenges in the martial world typically set a year or more so the opponent has time to prepare.

Sufficient time was also needed to maximize the publicity effect.

And there was one more reason.

‘I must be fully prepared as well, since who knows what trick they’ll pull next.’

He could not afford to experience the previous crisis again.

The time allotted was one year.

During that time he intended to raise the culmination of the Vajra Indestructible Divine Arts and the Muscle Changing Technique to their maximum.

“Understood. We’ll proceed with the matters you mentioned.”

Yu Jinsan nodded once and pulled something from his bosom.

“Ah, by the way. Do you happen to know what this is?”

What he handed over was a parchment scroll with a strange pattern drawn on it.

“Yes, let me take a look.”

When Eun Hwa-rin took and unfolded the scroll, something was densely inscribed inside.

At a glance, the script was not one used in the Central Plains.

“The Yin Monster took this from the White Flower Blood Sect’s Cult Leader. It looked important, so I kept it.”

For some reason, her expression turned grave.

“Th-this is…”