Chapter 152 – The Successor is Confirmed (3)

Though it had only been a few days, Kang Yong-hoon had clearly made significant progress. He seemed to have overcome the chronic issue of the clash between his internal art and martial arts that had plagued him.

Of course, that wasn’t enough to defeat Yu-jin. To put the difference between them into words, it was greater than that between heaven and earth. Naturally, Yu-jin, unconcerned by such things, smiled faintly and spoke.

“I don’t understand why you are here right now.”

“This is disrespectful to the elders, Brother.”

Kang Yong-hoon stated his opinion, his eyes shining with firm resolve. But Yu-jin simply shook his head with a smile.

“Your thought that you must show respect to the elders is certainly correct. However, those men are criminals who have committed all sorts of corruption, coveting only wealth and glory from their positions as elders. We cannot afford to treat such criminals as elders. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Even if the elders truly committed corruption as you say, Brother, I do not believe this is the way to handle it. The clan has its laws.”

At Kang Yong-hoon’s words, Yu-jin’s smile finally vanished from his lips. He glared at Kang Yong-hoon with a cold expression, and a tremendous aura began to rise from his entire body, pressing down on Kang Yong-hoon and the elders.

“Cough!”

The elders, already having suffered at the hands of Yu-jin’s women, could not withstand his aura and ended up vomiting blood. At that, Kang Yong-hoon also began to release his own aura.

Compared to Yu-jin’s immense presence, his could be called quite small, but because Yu-jin had intentionally reined in his power, Kang Yong-hoon’s aura gradually grew, allowing him to protect the elders.

‘When did the Second Young Master reach such a level?’

Elder Gwan Cheol-woo had long supported Kang Yong-hoon, but he had never dreamed that Yong-hoon had reached a higher realm than himself, and he was greatly astonished.

But for that very reason, he was able to steel his resolve even further. For the sake of the True Dragon Sword Clan, Kang Yong-hoon had to become the new clan head.

In his mind, Yu-jin, who was trying to drag them into a pit without a shred of compromise, was not fit to be the head of the True Dragon Sword Clan.

“The clan’s laws? Ah, yes. I know what you’re talking about. The law that states when elders commit a crime, other high-ranking officials gather to determine their punishment. Birds of a feather flock together; I’m sure they’ll readily admit the elders’ crimes and punish them.”

“Brother!”

“Yong-hoon, you’re mistaken about something. If I had truly set my mind to it and dealt with them, do you think any of them would still be alive?”

As Yu-jin spoke with a sneer, Kang Yong-hoon gritted his teeth. On that fateful day, he had lost consciousness and collapsed, so he hadn’t seen the details, but he knew one thing for certain: Yu-jin had defeated their father, who was called the strongest under the heavens.

‘What did I even see?’

No matter how hard he tried to recall what he had seen before collapsing, all that came to him was a headache. It was as if his body was rejecting the memory, deeming it a domain he should not approach.

Instead, he had picked up the Sky Sword that Yu-jin had left behind, and Yu-jin had allowed it.

And that became another fortuitous encounter that helped Kang Yong-hoon develop. It had enabled him to achieve a peaceful coexistence between his martial arts and internal art, something he had considered a lifelong shackle.

“I am aware of your strength, Brother. And I know that if you had truly intended to kill the elders, they would not be standing here now. But that does not justify your actions.”

“To me, it looks like you are simply trying to protect your own people. Are you saying you must protect your people, even if they are criminals?”

Yu-jin’s words were not wrong. To others, Yong-hoon’s actions could easily be seen as an attempt to protect his own faction.

Knowing this all too well, Kang Yong-hoon clenched his fists tightly. But it was only for a moment. Relaxing his fist, Yong-hoon seemed to have made a decision. He gave a slight nod and opened his mouth.

“I will renounce my claim as successor, Brother. In return, please do not display your power any further and allow them to be dealt with according to the clan’s laws. It is meaningless for you to use force any more than this.”

“Second Young Master!”

The startled elders, including Gwan Cheol-woo, stared at Kang Yong-hoon. That he would try to give up his position as successor for their sake was unbelievable.

“There is no need to do so for the likes of us old men, Second Young Master!”

Elder Gwan Cheol-woo shouted, but Kang Yong-hoon looked at him and shook his head.

“The tide is with my brother. No matter how much we struggle now, nothing will change. I believe I know what you are thinking, Elder Gwan Cheol-woo. That if we combine our strength, we can subdue my brother, right? But that is impossible. No, we wouldn’t even be able to stop the women standing behind him, let alone my brother himself.”

Seeing Yong-hoon speak as if he had read his mind, Elder Gwan Cheol-woo gritted his teeth. To think that their existence would become a shackle for Kang Yong-hoon—he had never felt such humiliation before.

Just then, Yu-jin suddenly began to laugh loudly. So loudly that the building seemed to shake. The elders, exhausted and with their internal energy greatly weakened, vomited blood again and collapsed.

“Hahahaha! Do you really think I attacked the elders just to make you renounce your claim as successor? I’ve never heard such a ridiculous story in my life. Even without those elders, there is no problem with me becoming the successor and inheriting the clan headship. When most of the people living in the True Dragon Sword Clan already support me, why would I bother touching your supporters?”

As Yu-jin laughed and spoke, Kang Yong-hoon’s face hardened. But Yu-jin was now exuding an energy that went beyond a mere aura, bordering on killing intent.

“But fine! Since you’ve shown that much resolve, I can’t ignore it as your older brother. But not for free! Show me your will!”

“Show you my will?”

“Is there any other way for a martial artist to show his will?”

At those words, Kang Yong-hoon unleashed a powerful aura and drew his sword. It was his cherished sword, Yongcheon, which he had once set aside but had taken up again. He had originally put down the sword after mastering the Hellfire Raging Dragon Arts, but a newfound enlightenment had led him to wield it once more.

With his sword drawn, the presence of a master who had reached the Transformation Realm emanated clearly from Kang Yong-hoon’s body.

But a smile graced the face of Yu-jin as he watched him. Seeing Kang Yong-hoon, Yu-jin also drew his sword. It was a clan sword, not the Ink Dragon Sword.

[You’re not going to use the Sky Sword?]

[That sword belongs to the clan head. Although I took it with your silent approval, it is not a sword I can use publicly. Here I come!]

Dozens of streams of sword energy shot out from Kang Yong-hoon’s blade. They were all powerful attacks, flying toward Yu-jin’s vital points all over his body.

The force was enough to tear the very sky to shreds, but Yu-jin met it with an unconcerned expression.

*CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!*

A tremendous force, like a great storm, swept past Yu-jin. But the look on Kang Yong-hoon’s face as he watched was anything but calm. He felt a hardness, as if he had struck a massive iron wall.

Through his martial artist’s intuition, he realized that Yu-jin had taken no damage at all. And when Yu-jin emerged from the massive cloud of dust, standing there with an indifferent look on his face, Kang Yong-hoon felt his blood run cold.

‘As I thought, my brother has surpassed the Transformation Realm.’

Although it couldn’t be said that he had used his full power, it was still an attack of considerable force. To take such an attack with his bare body without a care.

It was nearly impossible for a master of the Transformation Realm to block an attack from another master of the same realm so easily.

Only one who was on a higher plane could so nonchalantly block an opponent’s attack. And this tendency became more pronounced the higher the realm.

‘In that case!’

Kang Yong-hoon quickly retreated and consecutively unleashed the forms of the martial art he had created through his new enlightenment. A torrential downpour of sword qi rained down indiscriminately upon Yu-jin from the empty air.

*BOOM!*

A deafening roar echoed, and the ground screamed. This time as well, Yu-jin took Kang Yong-hoon’s attack with his bare body, his face impassive.

He could block such an attack sufficiently without even employing his Radiant Wings. The Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Arts was just that powerful.

However, Kang Yong-hoon’s hegemonic sword art was more than enough to pique Yu-jin’s interest.

‘Did he combine a newly learned hegemonic martial art with his own sword style? It’s still incomplete, but that alone is incredible. I was surprised by how much he’d improved in just a few days, but to think he’d show me something like this.’

Yu-jin was inwardly surprised, but Kang Yong-hoon, feeling that his attacks were completely ineffective, pushed the power of his newly created Heaven-Shattering Raging Dragon Sword to its absolute limit. A single dragon shot forth from Kang Yong-hoon’s sword and flew toward Yu-jin.

“Hmm, you use quite an interesting martial art.”

No sooner were the words spoken than Yu-jin vanished from before Kang Yong-hoon. Deceiving all of Kang Yong-hoon’s senses, Yu-jin’s speed was nothing short of terrifying.

And appearing from the darkness right behind Kang Yong-hoon, Yu-jin lightly swung his sword down.

‘Danger!’

In that instant, a warning signal blared in Kang Yong-hoon’s mind. He quickly twisted his body and swung his sword.

*CLANG!*

The moment a red light erupted from Kang Yong-hoon’s sword, Yu-jin’s blade struck it, and a thunderous sound exploded.

Kang Yong-hoon couldn’t withstand the force and was sent flying. It was such a tremendous attack that he felt as if his right arm, which held the sword, must have been shattered.

“It’s not over yet.”

As Yu-jin said, his attack was not finished. He gave him not a moment’s rest and launched himself toward Kang Yong-hoon again.

And once again, the sword was swung. A silver meteor shower poured down on Kang Yong-hoon. Although Kang Yong-hoon had shown a similar attack just before, the difference in power was that of heaven and earth.

“Kaaargh!”

He managed to block it somehow, but unable to withstand the difference in strength, Kang Yong-hoon was thrown back and slammed into a wall.

“Is that the extent of your will?”

Yu-jin’s quiet voice was laced with a ferocious aura. But Yong-hoon, embedded in the wall, lifted his head to look at Yu-jin and painstakingly rose to his feet.

“Good. That’s what it takes to be worthy of pointing your sword at me.”

Yu-jin smiled faintly and swung his sword. A wave of silver light so intense it was impossible to open one’s eyes engulfed Kang Yong-hoon.

Once again, a great roar that shook heaven and earth erupted, and Kang Yong-hoon rolled on the ground, covered in blood. If Yu-jin hadn’t controlled his strength, Kang Yong-hoon would have lost his life then and there.

[To dare point your sword at me when you haven’t even perfected your own martial art is the height of foolishness. I have told you before, have I not? That having the will does not mean you can always achieve what you desire. Have you still not grasped such a simple realization?]

[Injustice… must be…]

His consciousness fading, Kang Yong-hoon couldn’t even send a proper telepathic message. Yu-jin looked down at him and sent another message.

[Your courage is commendable, so I will indulge your intent this one time. But do not think there will be another chance like this.]