Murim Login - Chapter 324
You can also join our Discord here.
I will re-publish the earlier chapters to fix those issues with the translation. I apologize in advance if it did not meet your standard. Please comment the chapters you find that is lacking in quality so I can fix them ASAP. Thanks for understanding!
Current re-published chapters (270 - 305)
---
Kwaaaaa!
The flame burst out, burning away the remaining chill of early spring.
The reflections created by the dozens of fragmented Taieul Bunggwang Sword (태을분광검) disappeared, converging finally into one sword blade.
The essence of power, the sword.
The sword energy clashed with the flame.
Gugu-gugu-gung!
With a deafening roar, a massive wave of energy whirled around the old man and the young man at the center.
The blue flame wrapped around the wind pierced through the ceiling of the hall and soared up like a dragon rising.
At the sight, the old man, Hwangbo Eom’s eyelids trembled.
‘A Fire Dragon (火龍)……!’
Hwangbo Eom did not even notice his once proud white beard now blackened by the flames.
He could only feel the suffocating and frustrating pressure from the young man’s blazing pupils glaring at him beyond their crossed weapons.
‘It’s hot.’
The man had reached the pinnacle of martial arts.
His body, honed through advanced martial arts, had long achieved the state of being impervious to heat and cold.
But the young man’s gaze, the aura emanating from him, wasn’t just heat.
Rage and determination. And a sliver of calm within.
How could this be? This young child, still so green…
“Ugh,”
With a dry cough, Hwangbo Eom spat out a handful of blood. He looked at the spear in the young man’s hand with trembling eyes.
The translucent silver spearhead was wrapped in a blue-white flame.
Though incomplete, it was undoubtedly sword energy.
‘No, it’s not. He hasn’t surpassed the wall yet. But how could an old man like me…’
Hwangbo Eom had surpassed the wall and reached the pinnacle of martial arts ten years ago.
Yet, after all those years of training and meditation to gain enlightenment, he was now being pushed back by a young man who was still at the peak level.
“How…how is this possible?”
The young man’s answer to his question was short.
“Because I am stronger.”
“I…”
With a low voice, the spearhead pressed down on Hwangbo Eom with tremendous force.
Kagagak!
“Ugh!”
The sword energy, the pinnacle of martial arts, was useless. The power transmitted through the spearhead was a divine force, recalling myths heard in childhood.
Pangu (盤古)
The giant who created the world with a single swing of his axe.
The young man in front of him held divine power within a human body. And that wasn’t all he possessed.
Sukeok!
The sense of a pinnacle martial artist surpasses ordinary martial artists by a great margin.
Yet, even Hwangbo Eom couldn’t avoid the sudden silver line that appeared.
The pain felt for the first time in decades made his eyes widen as blood gushed from his shoulder.
‘When did he…’
He couldn’t even see the moment he made his move. Not even Taieul Bunggwang Sword, the pride of the Zhongnan Sect, could compare.
Having practiced Zhongnan Sect’s martial arts for eighty years, Hwangbo Eom screamed.
“This can’t be! This can’t!”
Kwagwagwang!
Summoning all his strength, the sword energy on his sword flared up like wildfire.
Barely escaping the pressure, Hwangbo Eom pointed his trembling finger at the young man.
“Who the hell…are you?”
“You know.”
The young man, Jin Taekyung, spat on the ground like a common thug and continued.
“The 19th successor of the Yeolhwa Sect.”
Whoosh!
The flames on the translucent spearhead blazed fiercely.
Swee-eeeek! Kwaang!
The spear and the sword clashed.
A series of fleeting moments.
Flame and sword energy collided dozens of times, erasing everything in their path.
Swee-swee-swee-swek! Bang!
I tilted my head slightly. A massive wave of energy erupted from the sword tip that missed its mark. A column three feet away split like tofu and crumbled.
I propelled my body, stepping on the falling pieces from the ceiling. Light but heavy. Soft but rough.
It spread like fire.
‘This is the essence of Flame Path (염화일로).’
In an instant, a floating sensation enveloped my entire body. In the slowed-down world, I seemed to be the only one rushing forward. My body, as light as air, shot forward like a bullet.
[Ting.]
[Enlightenment comes to you in many ways. Through continuous training and meditation, and battles of life and death – [Flame Path] has increased to 7 stars!]
[You have gained a significant amount of experience!]
Bang!
Air burst from my toes. As the system notification rang, my body was right in front of Hwangbo Eom’s nose.
Perhaps due to unexpected enlightenment and increased speed, it was too close to thrust my spear.
Instead of retreating, I thrust my palm forward.
Whoong!
My palm moved forward, burning the air. Hwangbo Eom roared like thunder and thrust his palm forward in response.
A dazzling blue light glowed on his wrinkled palm. It was Biyun Tiangang Hand (碧雲天剛手), the pride of the Zhongnan Sect.
However, the time given to him to complete his hand technique was too short.
No.
‘I was faster.’
Whooooong, Kwaang!
Two palms clashed. Following the resounding explosion, a groan echoed.
Hwangbo Eom’s face turned pale due to internal injuries. Gritting his teeth, he raised his other hand and pointed at me.
Papapap!
Five streaks of energy uselessly tore through the air.
In a fleeting moment, if I hadn’t caught his wrist with Fire Dragon Claw (火龍爪), I would have been wounded.
‘How dare you.’
Using my thumb, index finger, and middle finger, I twisted his wrist. A suppressed scream leaked through his cracked lips.
Hwangbo Eom, the Taieul Wujing Sword. How long has it been since he experienced such pain?
When the curtain falls on the stage, the actors must leave.
The stage called the Great War of Righteous and Demonic Sects ended half a century ago, and the heroes scattered.
The Hwangbo Eom in my eyes now…was not a hero but a petty old man.
‘This will hurt a bit.’
I let go of his limp wrist. At the same time, I clenched my fingers like a dragon’s claw.
Crack.
While carrying hundreds of pounds of iron balls, I repeated the same posture countless times every day.
Lower body like roots, waist like a pillar, fist precise and unyielding. Not deviating an inch from Jeok Cheon-Gang’s teachings.
‘At first, I shattered rocks.’
Then I cleaved through waterfalls falling from hundreds of feet high.
‘I collapsed cliffs.’
My scarred and cracked hands were covered with blue-white flames like those of a tortoise.
From posture to punch, the time taken was truly fleeting.
‘Extinguishing Flame Divine Fist (滅炎神拳)’
Goong.
The intense yang energy evaporated all the moisture within a few meters radius, making Hwangbo Eom’s parched lips crack.
“No-!”
“No.”
With my response, I launched the Extinguishing Flame Divine Fist.
The defensive energy of a pinnacle martial artist blocked it briefly, but soon the energy shrouding his body shattered, and the fist struck his old flesh and bones.
Crack!
“Ahhhhh!”
With a tearing scream, Hwangbo Eom’s body was flung back. Three pillars and a wall crumbled, and the remaining ceiling collapsed with a crash.
Just as I thought it was over, bloodshot eyes glared at me through the dust cloud.
“Ku, kuluk.”
“Just lie there if you want to prolong your remaining life.”
“How…how could you?”
Shock and confusion, rage and humiliation… countless emotions swirled in Hwangbo Eom’s eyes. And finally, those emotions culminated into one.
‘Hatred.’
His blood-soaked lips slowly parted. Though mixed with pieces of his internal organs, blood spilled, Hwangbo Eom’s eyes burned fiercely.
It was the gaze of someone who didn’t consider the consequences.
“I am…the number one sword of Jongnam Sect.”
At that moment, the surrounding heat dissipated. A chilling wind began to blow. It started from a person and a single sword.
I felt my blood, heated by the battle, cool down as I muttered.
“This is…”
“Taieul Wuxing Sword (太 N 無形劍). Watch closely. This is the sword technique that will cut your throat.”
Shiiing—
The sword moved, and the wind blew. The sword was the wind, and the wind was the sword. The unseen sword strike mixed with the wind.
For a moment, I felt a strong scent of blood at my nose.
Sukeok!
A half-step sideways. That half-step saved my life.
I didn’t even have time to feel the blood flowing from my neck. Every time Hwangbo Eom’s sword vibrated from ten feet away, invisible sword strikes poured down on me like waves.
Shwik, Sukeok!
My side stung. The energy in the sword strike rattled my insides.
Even while staggering, I raised my arm. The attack that narrowly missed sliced through a beam like tofu.
‘What is this?’
Sukeok!
There was no time to question. This time, my chest was slashed deeply. Blood spurted, soaking the ground.
‘I can’t see it.’
I felt like I was enveloped in a dense fog.
This wasn’t a matter of strength or speed. It was an exceptional sword technique executed by a martial artist who had reached a higher level of enlightenment, pushing his power to the brink of its limits.
But…
‘How was I able to avoid them until now?’
One question dominated my mind.
With my body frozen, dozens of sword strikes rained down. I watched the scene with a dazed expression.
And then I closed my eyes. In the darkness that suddenly descended, a face emerged.
His sharp voice echoed faintly.
‘In the martial world, always keep your eyes wide open. That way, you won’t die from a sword.’
‘What if I find myself in a deadly situation?’
‘Then pluck out those useless eyes and see with your heart.’
‘See with my heart? How is that possible?’
‘Have you tried?’
Yes, I have.
No, I am doing it now.
‘So this is what you meant back then.’
Unknowingly, I smiled faintly.
I couldn’t see. But I could feel. In the darkness where I couldn’t see an inch ahead, I felt the incoming sword strikes. The final desperate struggle of Taieul Wujing Sword Hwangbo Eom.
‘Thank you for your teachings, Master.’
With my eyes closed, I twisted my body. I finely adjusted my limbs and even the slightest muscles, as delicately as playing piano keys.
The sword strikes that didn’t touch my flesh tore my clothes and scratched the ground.
Kwaaaaang!
Amidst the booming noise, I opened my eyes slightly. Hwangbo Eom’s face, filled with shock, came into view.
There was an emotion in his eyes I hadn’t seen before.
‘Fear.’
He knew it too. The fear he was feeling.
The terror emanating from me.
“Don’t…don’t come near!”
Shii-ik!
With a step forward, I swung my spear. The sword strike aiming at my neck collided with the spear blade and dissipated.
And then another step forward.
Shwishwishwish!
I brandished my spear as naturally as breathing. Deflecting, blocking, and piercing as if dealing with a living enemy. All the while, my steps didn’t falter.
I wasn’t in a hurry, but Hwangbo Eom was desperate. Ignoring his body that had already reached its limit, he unleashed his final sword strike.
Kwaaaaa!
The sword energy carried enough force to turn the entire hall to dust.
I stared at it as it approached and then swung my spear like a thunderbolt.
Heavenly Strike (天格).
The claw of the Fire Dragon gripped the sword energy.
And in the next moment.
Crack!
The shattered sword blade tumbled to the ground. Hwangbo Eom, who had been staring blankly at his broken sword, raised his head.
“You…who are you?”
“Why…”
I spoke slowly, facing the number one martial artist of the Zhongnan Sect, Taieul Wujing Sword Hwangbo Eom.
“Why do you insult my master, you senile old man who eats through your ass? You’re asking to die, you piece of crap.”