Episode 1: "The State of the Martial World”

The martial world has fallen!

It was a rumour openly discussed among the commoners in the streets.

It didn't mean the era of martial artists, who had mastered strange breathing techniques and practiced martial arts, was coming to an end. It simply meant that the existing order of the martial world had collapsed.

The martial world, represented by the Nine Schools and the Five great clans, was now a thing of the past.

The nine deeply rooted schools of cultivating mind and body in the mountains with noble martial arts are now six... Shaolin, Huashan, Shaman, Kunlun, Wudang, and Zhongnan. The nine sects had become the six sects of the martial arts World.

However, the Great Five remained unchanged.

The only difference was their aspect had changed.

The only ones who somewhat continued the glory of the old Great Five clans were Namgoong noble clan from Ahnwi and Paeng Clan noble clan from Habuk. The other three were no longer called noble clans.

- Zhuge/Jegal Clan of hubei/Shanxi province

- The Moyong clan of Liaonging Province

- Tangy clan of Sichuan….

They were facing a situation where they had to worry about the upcoming future generations of their families being abruptly severed. Most of the main masters had died, because of that, the core techniques of the family martial arts were not properly passed down.

The evaluation of any martial arts family ultimately depended on the martial prowess they possessed. In this era, where the existing order of the martial world had collapsed, former glory wasn't an option that could protect them. The wealth that used to pile up to the point of bursting in the warehouse is now nowhere to be found, and the wealthy families, who used to wear clothes made of fine silk, now wear rough, nameless cloth made of scraps. Even when they wear out, they patch them up and wear them again, and again.

There was a saying, 'Wealth may be lost, but family lineage can remain for three generations.'

However, this saying didn't apply in the martial arts world. The downfall happened swiftly. Despite their efforts to regain past glory, the Jegal Clan and Moyong Clan, who once stood out among the Nine Sects, poured all their remaining resources and assets into reviving their families, but it proved to be in vain.

That's how it was with martial arts. After many years of trial and error and the refinement by immensely talented individuals, what remained was the core essence which was passed down only through oral tradition. When put into practice, even if one consumed elixirs like rice and trained tirelessly with great dedication, it was a daunting task to regain the former strength and prestige.

In the end, it was as if only the resources were wasted which was poured into them.

The only exception was Tang Clan, which had once been in control of toxins and poisons. They collected poisons rather than elixirs and had developed their own memorization techniques. Furthermore, due to their research on poisons, they naturally progressed in pharmacology, which led them to earn money by acting as skilled physicians.

Of course, their decline was slower, but their reputation as martial artists was also gradually fading.

Anyway, the current state of the martial world has become like this mainly because of the emergence of the unstoppable talents of the two geniuses…

In the evil faction, it was Black Snake Alliance lord, Yoo Gil-jun!

In the demonic faction, it was the Demon of Heavens lord, Yeon Jung-hyuk!

The genius of martial arts emerged not once, but twice in the current era of martial arts.

Furthermore, it was unfortunate for the orthodox faction, as each of them appeared in the realm of heretical and demonic martial arts, which was considered an unorthodox faction in the eyes of every martial artist of orthodox faction.

This was no less than a major disaster for the present martial world.

Yoo Gil-jun, born in the Black Snake Alliance, was from the backstreets of gangsters. At the time, the leader of the Black Snake Alliance recognized the talent of the young Yu Gil-joon and taught him some crude martial arts and fed him cheap elixirs. For an ordinary person, it might have been just a trivial encounter.

However, for Yoo Gil-jun, who was born with the qualities of a Genius martial artist, it served as a huge opportunity. He instantly recognized the crude loopholes of martial arts taught by the leader of the Black Snake Alliance and transformed them into better martial arts, and based on them, he created a new martial art. The martial arts he created at the time were the ones that the current disciples of the Black Snake Alliance aspire to learn.

The cheap Elixirs were supposed to accumulate a handful of inner Qi over time. However, Yoo Gil-jun succeeded in achieving the Great Heavenly Transcendence Position with just that handful of inner energy. As soon as he felt the inner energy, he instinctively realized which direction to cultivate in.

As his breathing repeated, he indeed grew stronger. It wasn't just empty words. Yu Gil-jun grew rapidly stronger to the point where finding precedents for his progress became difficult.

Then an incident occurred.

A disciple of the blue star sect killed the leader of the Black Snake Alliance in a dispute. It was because a young disciple of the blue star sect, who had not properly understood the extent of his own skills after training in seclusion in the mountains, used excessive force. Nearby were figures from the emei sect and the spear sect. They comforted the disciple of the blue star, it was karma of his, and left as if nothing had happened.

Yoo Gil-jun, who was an orphan, considered the Black Snake Alliance as his own family. The leader was his benefactor who introduced him to the world of martial arts. No matter how much talent and enlightenment one may have. When he heard the Black Snake Alliance leader was killed he was extremely mad.

- Grace is twice, but grudges are tenfold.

At that time, it was the family rule of the Tang family, which was renowned as the best in the four heavens. Yoo Gil-jun believed it was something everyone should rightfully adhere to. He declared Cheongseong his enemy from that day on. Yoo Gil-jun decided to become stronger to repay his debt of vengeance.

Five years later.

Blue star was annihilated by Yoo Gil-jun. Those who followed him had formidable martial skills, and surprisingly, they were all members of the Black Snake Alliance. The surprising thing was that those who were just alley thugs became skilled martial artists who could rival the elders of the blue star sect.

After annihilating the blue star sect and taking its place, Yu Gil-jun dismantled the Black Snake Alliance and rose to the position of the Alliance Leader himself. Whatever means he used, even the members of the Black Snake Alliance had strong martial skills, so they took positions in the Black Snake Alliance.

The Emei sect and Spear sect, who were deeply connected to the Blue Star sect, couldn't stand idly by. Despite their alliance to confront the Black Snake faction under the banner of rooting out evil, they were ultimately overpowered by Yoo Gil-jun. The story of how these two factions, despite their combined strength, were defeated by Yoo Gil-jun spread like wildfire throughout the murim.

During that battle, the emei and spear sects lost many of their main disciples. And when Yoo Gil-jun was attacked, he didn't stay still. He immediately led the Black Snake Alliance and annihilated the emei and spear sects one after another. It is said that not a single pillar of their influence remained intact.

Because of that, the world of martial arts was thrown into chaos.

Such an event was indeed unpredicted. The lineages of three of the Nine Sects that had lasted for centuries were completely severed. Moreover, they were broken by a mere newcomer faction. It was a situation that could not be ignored in the central region of the martial world.

Since then, there have been various incidents, but they were mostly minor. For now, if someone were to mention the supreme existence in the martial world, it would be Yu Gil-joon, the Black Snake Alliance Leader.

Next, let's talk about Yeon Jung-hyeok.

Unlike Yu Gil-jun, Yeon Jung-hyeok was a master of the Heavenly demon sect. Born as the heir to the Celestial Demon Sect, he showed exceptional talent in martial arts from a young age.

The Heavenly Martial Body.

He possessed extraordinary martial qualities that appear only once every few hundred years. His body seemed to embody the essence of martial arts as if it were bestowed by the heavens, naturally embodying the principles of martial arts.

Achieving greatness without effort!

Understanding was unnecessary. His body moved according to the martial arts techniques as if it were natural. That's how the Heavenly Martial Body worked. It was an existence beyond comprehension. With years of profound inner cultivation and formidable martial skills, he could surpass even the most exceptional individuals and claim the title of the best in the world.

And Yeon Jung-hyeok was the heir of the Heavenly demon celestial Sect.

A position where he could acquire all sorts of demonic arts.

The speed at which he grew stronger was tremendous. The term "second heavenly demon" was heard everywhere. By the time he reached maturity, even his father, the sect leader, the current Heavenly demon, feared and distanced himself from him. There was no way to stop him. Already, many within the Heavenly demon celestial Sect followed Yeon Jung-hyeok, the vice sect leader, more than the sect leader who was the heavenly demon himself.

Yeon Jung-hyeok was in a position where, if he so desired, he could become the sect leader at any time.

However, Yeon Jung-hyeok was a respectable figure in the heavenly demon sect after the heavenly demon himself. but his father despised him, even fearing him. Which led Yeon Jung-hyuk to think leaving the sect. Eventually, after thinking it over and over again and again, Yeon Jung-hyeok led his followers out of the sect. He realized that his immense strength was causing trouble within the sect, so he decided to leave.

Thus, he separated and founded a new demonic faction, the heavenly demon divine sect.

At that time, he was just twenty-three years old, too young to proclaim himself as a sect leader. However, when examining the faces of those who claimed leadership of their sects, it was hard for anyone to ignore. After all, there were once fierce and skilled martial artists in the heavenly demon Sect. Those who followed him believed that Yeon Jung-hyeok would truly become a heavenly demon.

Naturally, no one dared to provoke a conflict with the Heavenly demon devine sect.

However, there was one obstacle for Yeon Jung-hyeok.

Which was his attraction to the daughters of noble families.

Merely having a beautiful face was not enough. He desired women with noble grace and extraordinary talents, yet who were not submissive. Perhaps because he easily achieved mastery and reached the pinnacle of martial arts, Yeon Jung-hyeok wanted flowers that couldn't be easily broken. He seemed to find pleasure in things that didn't bend to his will.

And the women who fit the characteristics Yeon Jung-hyeok desired were mostly prominent figures in the martial world, with a few exceptions.

Yeon Jung-hyeok sent marriage proposals to the leaders of neighbouring factions, stating that he wanted their daughters as companions.

The leaders of weaker factions easily surrendered to the heavenly demon divine cult. They handed over their only daughters to avoid annihilation. It was an unavoidable choice to avoid extinction. Even if Yeon Jung-hyeok didn't take action, there were many followers who regarded his words as heavenly decrees.

As time passed by, Yeon Jung-hyeok quickly lost interest in flowers he had already picked. After the marriage ceremony and spending a night together, he paid no further attention. The women who had married Yeon Jung-hyeok and their families were left with bitter humiliation.

Meanwhile,

When Yeon Jung-hyeok was on a journey for a while, where he was getting aware of the five great noble clans, eventually he reached out to one of the five great noble clans, and the first place he contacted was the Jegal noble clan in Hubei province. He sent a marriage proposal, stating that he wanted Jegal Sun-ran, who was renowned as the greatest beauty in hubei, as his companion.

At that time Jegal Se-gang, who was the sect leader, was well aware of Yeon Jung-hyeok's activities all along. In a fit of rage, Jegal Segang tore up Yeon Jung-hyeok's letter on the spot and personally ordered the execution of the messenger. There was anger, yes, but itIt was an act based on the calculation that they couldn't afford to remain indifferent, considering their position in the world of martial arts. It was a clear message: know your place.

Upon hearing this, the followers and disciples of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect were furious. How dare Jegal and others tarnish the authority of a martial arts expert like Yeon Jung-hyeok with the title of a heavenly demon. Thus, the Jegal noble clan and the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect started the clash. It was a full-scale confrontation.

The outcome was brutal.

Jegal Se-gang, who was the clan master of the Jegal noble clan, unable to withstand Yeon Jung-hyeok's Bare-Handed Demon Arts, had his head cut off and died. Jegal Se-gang, who was skilled in various martial arts, was dismantled by hundreds of martial artists. Many disciples of the Jegal noble clan also lost their lives, but Fortunately, Jegal Sun-ran voluntarily offered to become Yeon Jung-hyeok's companion. She made this difficult decision because it was the only option that could save the remaining lives of the disciples of the Jegal noble clan.

From then on, Yeon Jung-hyeok held a grand wedding ceremony with Jegal Sun-ran, but as with previous instances, he soon lost interest in her. Even when Jegal Sun-ran took her own life out of frustration and injustice, Yeon Jung-hyeok showed no particular interest.

As time passed by, the Jegal noble clan met his demise.

Meanwhile, starting from this point, Yeon Jung-hyeok's martial prowess began to be known to all over the Murim, largely due to the multitude of witnesses to Jegal Se-gang's death. Despite Jegal Se-gang's martial prowess being considered inferior compared to other prominent figures, witnessing him being swiftly defeated by Yeon Jung-hyeok, who was acclaimed as reaching the pinnacle of martial arts mastery, was shocking in itself.

Yeon Jung-hyeok did not stop there.

Once, he happened to encounter the concubine of the Moyong noble clan during a solo journey, and again, he was attracted to her. Finding it troublesome to send a marriage proposal with the hawk, Yeon Jung-hyeok simply visited the Moyong noble clan that day, which resulted in the Moyong family suffering damage that was close to extinction.

A similar incident occurred in Anhwi involving the Namgoog noble clan, but it was said that the Sword King Namgung Jangcheon, known as the best swordsman in the world, intervened and managed to barely stop it.

The noble and dignified Ha Buk Paengga clan, known for its imposing presence, there were no women who captured Yeon Jung-hyuk's heart.

The last one was the Tang clan who mastered the poisonous martial arts. At that time The Sichuan's faction in other words the Tang clan master was tang Jihye who was beautiful woman in Sichuan but also a cunning clever fox, relying on their poison and memorization skills, they fiercely contested with heavenly demon divine cult, but ultimately refused to hand over their leader, who was the Poison Peak, to them. After fierce battles with the Sichuan's Tang clan, Yeon Jung-hyeok couldn't obtain Tang Jihye due to the cunning tactics of the Tang baeng. In fact, the reason for not escalating to an all-out war was largely due to the Black serpent alliance. Sichuan was within their territory, after all. There was also a reason why Yeon Jung-hyeok didn't personally intervene.

No matter how independent Yeon Jung-hyeok was, he might not have known how hesitant he was to touch the psyche of Yu Gil-jun, who had already destroyed three of the old factions.

Nevertheless, the loss of power in the Tang clan was significant. Martial arts experts of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, who were poisoned and disregarding death, rushed in. Uprisings occurred everywhere. Core figures, including the Tang clan's leader, died, leaving no chance to preserve essential secrets for future generations. Now in today's era, The teachings passed down to the disciples of the Tang clan were conveyed orally.

The Tang noble clan, which was one of the five major great noble clans, was now also gradually on the path of decline.

Anyway,

The world of martial arts, where the boy Tang Yeon-myeong, awakened from a past life, had to live, was roughly another ten years away from such a situation.