Became a God-Level M Chapter 189 : Grandmaster

Chapter 189: Grandmaster

Seo Yu-gyeom observed Jin Seong-un’s condition.

From the wounds inflicted by the Baek Li Clan’s martial artists, blood gushed out for a brief mont before the injuries rapidly began to heal.

A sinister aura was forcefully closing the wounds.

‘…What on earth is this?’

It was a sight difficult to believe even with his own eyes.

Though he had spent years in Deathshroud, witnessing and hearing countless things, he had never imagined that wounds could be sealed shut with energy alone.

‘Could it be demonic arts?’

In Seo Yu-gyeom’s mory, Jin Seong-un had never used this martial art unless faced with a truly dire situation.

In other words, he had deliberately kept it hidden under normal circumstances.

Seo Yu-gyeom glanced at the expressions of the Baek Li Clan’s martial artists.

Since even he himself suspected demonic arts, the martial artists of the Baek Li Clan were already looking at Jin Seong-un with faces as if they were staring at a demon.

“Get a hold of yourself.”

Seo Yu-gyeom spoke while still pressing the dagger into Jin Seong-un’s abdon.

Even as he injected the extre cold into him, Jin Seong-un did not move at all and only wore a dazed expression.

The wild, domineering look from before was nowhere to be seen.

‘So it’s having so effect?’

At any rate, Seo Yu-gyeom’s life was also on the line.

Thinking back on how Jin Seong-un had just slaughtered the Baek Li Clan’s martial artists, he knew he had no confidence to block or evade if Jin suddenly acted up again.

“…First Elder, what should we do?”

Baek Li-seon, the Third Elder of the Baek Li Clan, asked.

But First Elder Baek Li-hyeong remained silent.

It was already difficult to comprehend why those two had suddenly stabbed each other, and with both the Clan Head and the eldest son dead, he could not find an answer to what should be done next.

Ti slowly passed.

Seo Yu-gyeom felt Jin Seong-un’s breathing gradually beco steadier.

‘Is it over?’

Seo Yu-gyeom slowly pulled out the Heaven-Slaying Dagger.

The wound did not heal. In other words, the Blood Demon Qi had subsided.

Since the stab had avoided a vital spot, it was not a fatal wound.

Jin Seong-un let out a long exhale.

His breath was mixed with a dark crimson haze, drifting out like a mirage. Soon, even the red glow that had stained his pupils faded away.

Jin Seong-un gazed intently at Seo Yu-gyeom.

Seo Yu-gyeom tightened his grip on the Heaven-Slaying Dagger with a tense expression.

Then Jin Seong-un spoke.

“It is done now. Thank you.”

Only then did Seo Yu-gyeom let out a sigh of relief.

Jin Seong-un looked around with a sowhat complicated expression. Dozens of Baek Li Clan martial artists had been reduced to corpses unrecognizable in form, while those who had survived were staring at him with horrified eyes.

‘I was arrogant.’

This was a martial art he could not fully control—not even that Blood Demon could. To handle it carelessly without vigilance had been his mistake, his arrogance.

If not for Young Master Seo, what would have happened?

Would he not have continued to tear and destroy everything until both body and mind were utterly drained?

If not killed by the Baek Li Clan’s martial artists, he would have gone beyond the walls and into the world outside. Even imagining it made his blood run cold.

Perhaps that was how the Blood Demon himself had co into being.

For a brief mont, he recalled the Blood Demon’s solemn face.

If even he alone could rip apart dozens of Baek Li Clan martial artists, how much greater must the Blood Demon have been back then? He could hardly imagine.

Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom briefly surveyed their surroundings.

Many of the Baek Li Clan’s martial artists were still alive. The real problem was that all the elders remained. If they chose to attack in earnest, the two had little chance.

But contrary to the two n’s worries, the elders of the Baek Li Clan did not act rashly.

When the Clan Head had been alive, they would have fought to the death for the clan.

That was the duty of a retainer.

But with Clan Head Baek Li-cheon and his son Baek Li-joong both dead at once, there was no clear successor to inherit the clan leadership.

First Elder Baek Li-hyeong glanced at the other elders’ expressions. They seed to be thinking the sa thing.

A glimr of greed flickered in their eyes.

Out of nowhere, the chance to beco the master of the Baek Li Clan had fallen into their laps.

Of course, the need to kill the two n had not changed, but none of them wished to rush forward and risk dying at the hands of the Guest Dragon.

The stronger one’s claim to the Clan Head position, the more precious one’s life now seed.

While the elders hesitated, Jin Seong-un, whose mind had cooled after shaking off the Blood Demon Arts, looked at them and spoke.

“Thanks to this, I have realized sothing. That to confront an entire clan was nothing short of great arrogance.”

“…”

The Baek Li Clan martial artists stared at him in disbelief.

To say such words while surrounded by heaps of their corpses was absurd beyond reason.

Yet Jin Seong-un continued in his usual calm, dry tone.

“To be frank, I am near my limit. Even standing is difficult now. That is why I say this—if I fight again, it will no longer be for survival, but with the resolve to perish together.”

“…”

“Who will co first?”

Jin Seong-un lightly waved his hand, and a sword lying on the ground flew into his grasp.

He took his stance.

The will was clear—whoever attacked first would surely die.

Thus, none of the elders opened their mouths, simply watching in silence.

Xiping, Henan Province. The Seomun Clan.

From the Baek Li Clan’s secret estate, Seomun Ak had run with all his might to the Clan Head’s Hall.

Having surpassed his limits several tis, blood welled up in his throat, but he ignored it.

Creak. Thud.

There was no ti to seek permission—he pushed open the doors at once, and was t with his father Seomun Jeok’s smiling face.

“Haha, so I hear these days our Ak has beco a completely different man—”

Seomun Jeok, who had been bragging about his son to the Chief Steward, turned his head in shock.

For there stood his son, battered and broken, gasping for breath, eyes bloodshot.

Seomun Jeok jumped to his feet.

“Wh-what on earth happened? Don’t tell

you fought with that good-for-nothing cook again—”

“The Baek Li Clan has accused us of being Demonic Outsiders.”

“…What?”

Seomun Jeok and the Chief Steward, Seomun Pyeong, looked at him in disbelief.

Seomun Ak quickly recounted all that he had seen, heard, and experienced. The tale was disjointed and incoherent, but no father would fail to understand his son’s words.

Seomun Jeok’s expression instantly turned cold.

“Who else knows of this?”

“Squad Leader Hwamyeong of the Wind Flower Squad has gone to inform the Murim Alliance’s Luoyang Branch.”

From Zhengyang, where the Baek Li Clan resided, to Luoyang, the distance required a full day of nonstop running.

In other words, imdiate support from the Murim Alliance could not be expected.

Seomun Jeok, while deep in thought, noticed a large bruise around Seomun Ak’s neck.

“Was that also the doing of the Baek Li Clan?”

“dical Hall Leader Baek Li-heon.”

Before his death in the dungeon, he had thrashed wildly and crushed Seomun Ak’s neck with his strength.

Seomun Jeok’s gaze turned vicious in an instant.

Just like the saying “as the seed, so the sprout,” the reason Seomun Ak had grown into a notorious troublemaker was because of the thick bloodline he had inherited from his father.

Though he had aged and now sat as Clan Head, suppressing those tendencies as much as possible, seeing his son reduced to such a state by the Baek Li Clan snapped sothing within him.

It was that thread of reason, as the world called it.

Seomun Jeok spoke.

“Chief Steward, gather the clan’s martial artists imdiately.”

“H-how many?”

“From the youngest to the elders, all of them. Even from the Council of Elders, bring out any old man who can still lift a spoon. This is the order of the Clan Head.”

“…Do you an to start a war?”

“You see rightly. A war it is.”

At once, Seomun Jeok threw on the red long robe that hung over his chair and strode outside.

Nearly a hundred martial artists charged together along the forest path.

At their head was Clan Head Seomun Jeok.

Unlike his fiery actions, his mind was already cold and clear.

‘The Guest Dragon and the Cook are likely dead.’

A sorrowful thought, but the likelihood was overwhelming.

It could not be denied that the two were outstanding martial artists.

Especially Jin Seong-un—Seomun Jeok had inwardly thought that given twenty years, the young man might be spoken of as the world’s greatest.

But that was a matter for the far future.

The Baek Li Clan was strong. Though not equal to the Five Great Clans, it still ranked among the finest orthodox clans of the martial world.

“…It would be better if they had escaped.”

“They did not.”

“And why not?”

Seomun Jeok turned a questioning gaze to his son, and Seomun Ak replied as if it were obvious.

“Because the reason they stayed was that the impatient Baek Li Clan might do sothing to the children at any mont.”

“…They risked their lives for children they didn’t even know, just to hold on until we arrived?”

Seomun Ak could not answer.

He knew well it was reckless, and nearly impossible besides.

The mont they crossed the Baek Li Clan’s estate wall with Hwamyeong, he had thought Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom would almost certainly die.

Like flocks of migratory birds blackening the sky, the martial artists of the Seomun Clan raced in a straight line.

When rivers or cliffs appeared, they crossed. When mountains appeared, they leapt over them.

Preserving strength was not important. Speed was.

‘The evidence must be seized.’

Seomun Jeok had resolved on war against the Baek Li Clan.

He was confident enough.

But the true problem lay in what ca after the war.

Before the Baek Li Clan could deal with the children, they had to arrive and secure the proof.

Only then could the Seomun Clan justify what they were about to do within the orthodox martial world.

How long did they run?

As the dark night sky began to clear and dawn broke—

“This is the place?”

“Yes.”

Nearly a hundred martial artists descended around the Baek Li Clan’s estate.

The heavy stench of blood rode the wind.

One could sense imdiately that a trendous battle had taken place here.

“…Steel your heart.”

Seomun Jeok quietly said to his son.

What he ant was not preparation for war, but preparation to accept the death of a friend.

Seomun Ak only exhaled deeply.

At Seomun Jeok’s command, the hundred martial artists unleashed their presence and leapt over the wall.

And there, they were struck with a shocking sight.

Amidst dozens of corpses, two young martial artists still stood precariously.

“Jin Seong-un!”

Seomun Ak rushed toward him.

To see Jin Seong-un still standing, sword in hand, felt nothing short of a miracle.

Once again, Seomun Ak thought to himself—this man was truly a monster.

Around him, a dozen corpses were torn to pieces, so grotesque that even Seomun Ak, not easily disgusted, found his face twisting.

As Seomun Ak cautiously checked Jin Seong-un’s condition, a curt voice ca from the side.

“Do you not see ? What took you so long? I nearly died.”

Seomun Ak turned his head and checked Seo Yu-gyeom. Covered head to toe in blood, he looked barely able to stand.

Ice shards scattered around showed he had driven his Ice Arts to the extre.

So Seomun Ak said:

“What, you survived too?”

“Are you insane?”

Though they spoke thus, Seomun Ak still reached to support Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom.

The Baek Li Clan’s martial artists froze at the sight of the Seomun Clan’s arrival.

First Elder Baek Li-hyeong addressed Seomun Jeok.

“Clan Head Seomun, you misunderstand. The Guest Dragon has fallen into demonic deviation. He used a most vicious demonic art—”

“Silence!!”

Seomun Jeok roared, cutting Baek Li-hyeong short.

“With all the atrocities you have wrought, who are you to accuse another of being a Demonic Outsider?”

Baek Li-hyeong could not say another word.

The children had not yet been removed. Any excuse would soon be exposed by the truth.

Indeed, Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom had remained here precisely to deny the Baek Li Clan the chance to erase the evidence.

Seomun Jeok took in every detail of the scene. Especially Jin Seong-un.

Could a re youth barely past twenty truly stand against an entire clan?

In his mind, a few figures from history surfaced who might have done such a thing. But they had all been so aged that death could have co for them at any mont.

Between them and Jin Seong-un lay a gulf as wide as heaven and earth.

Across all history, those who had achieved such accomplishnts at this age were rare indeed.

Though their philosophies, beliefs, and legacies differed, they all shared one thing in common.

‘Grandmaster (大宗師).’

That was how they were rembered by later generations.

They were not rely those who mastered martial arts, but geniuses who founded entire schools of martial arts themselves.

The founders of the Five Great Clans and the Nine Sects One Gang had been just such figures.

Though history had known many proclaid as the best under heaven, those called Grandmasters were exceedingly few.

Seomun Jeok now realized—he was living in the era of a new Grandmaster.