Martial Arts Ain't That Big of a Deal

Chapter 182

Seo-jun clamped his hand over his mouth, but he couldn’t completely suppress the groan escaping between his fingers.

"Ugh...."

His body trembled as he stared at Chun-bong. Watching him, Chun-bong let out a sigh.

"Seriously? Idiot."

"Geum Chun-bong...! Your cheeks...!"

Seo-jun couldn’t hold back anymore and lunged at her.

Squeeze—squish—

The soft, plump sensation in his hands. This was it. The legendary Chun-bong cheeks were back!

"Hehehe."

"Happy?"

"Extremely."

That’s right. After undergoing Bone Refinement, Chun-bong hadn’t gained larger breasts—but instead, her cheeks had become rounder and plumper.

After indulging himself with her cheeks for a while, Seo-jun finally took a proper look at her.

Not much else had changed. Her rebirth hadn’t caused any regression in her appearance, nor had it enhanced her figure. Tragically (and he meant that sincerely), her chest remained exactly the same.

Only her cheeks had transformed.

"How did this even happen?"

Seo-jun marveled at the mysteries of Bone Refinement. Chun-bong, meanwhile, pouted and nodded.

"Yeah, seriously. What do chubby cheeks have to do with martial arts?"

"Ah."

Seo-jun’s eyes widened as realization struck.

"It’s the Chun-bong Divine Art."

"What?"

"Using your cheeks to charm and deceive enemies—the ultimate illusion!"

"You’re full of crap."

In hindsight, Namgung Su-a’s transformation had made sense.

Her martial arts relied on balance and weight distribution, so enhancing her chest might have supported her techniques.

But Chun-bong’s cheeks?

Seo-jun’s limited insight couldn’t explain it. He figured there had to be some deeper meaning.

"Whatever. I like it."

"Fine... as long as you’re happy."

Chun-bong sighed deeply.

*****

Since there was still time, Seo-jun decided to test Chun-bong and Namgung Su-a’s progress.

Passing through the Gate of Life and Death was one thing, but as martial artists who practiced orthodox techniques, they should also be able to wield Qi reinforcement if they’d truly reached the Absolute Stage.

"Hup...!"

Chun-bong infused her sword with Qi and focused. Her intent manifested as stars forming along the blade—

Clang—!

Only to shatter into fragments of energy that scattered around the room.

"Ahhh!"

Chun-bong flailed in panic while Seo-jun swiftly shielded them from the fallout. He then turned to Namgung Su-a.

Her eyes gleamed as she attempted to form Qi reinforcement.

Boom—!

Her energy burst before she could stabilize it.

"What the hell?"

Was this the result of advancing too quickly with the Life-and-Death Resonance Technique? Seo-jun was still puzzling over it when Namgung Jincheon walked in, smiling knowingly.

"It’s only natural...."

"Father-in-law!"

"Just because one reaches the Absolute Stage doesn’t mean they can control Qi reinforcement immediately."

"I had no problem with it, though."

"That’s because you’re abnormal."

"Ah."

Namgung Jincheon examined both women carefully before nodding in approval.

"There’s nothing wrong. However, since their breakthroughs weren’t entirely conventional, they’re missing certain foundational elements. Once they fill in those gaps, handling Qi reinforcement will come naturally."

Slash—

The sky split in two. Seo-jun gawked in disbelief.

Between the cleaved sunset, a black void glittered with stars.

Seo-jun instinctively understood.

The universe.

The sky had been cut, revealing the boundless cosmos beyond.

"What the hell...."

If that was possible, couldn’t he just slice through space to teleport? Just a quick slash, and—swish.

Namgung Jincheon, now facing him again, smiled faintly.

"I hope this has been helpful to you, son-in-law."

Under the divided sky, with his robes dyed in twilight, Namgung Jincheon’s figure radiated grandeur.

"And once again, I leave my daughter in your care."

*****

Far to the west lay Qinghai. Even farther west stood Mount Kunlun.

The atmosphere within the depths of the Kunlun Sect was suffocatingly heavy.

"What’s the situation with the Demonic Cult?"

"They’re advancing relentlessly. At this rate, they’ll reach Qinghai in less than two weeks."

"Dammit. This is insane."

Elder Pungwol of Kunlun clutched his head in frustration.

"Elder, reinforcements from the Martial Alliance are arriving steadily. We don’t need to panic—"

"Don’t be naïve. The Martial Alliance is already at war with the Black Blood Lotus. The reinforcements they’re sending us are limited. We have to hold off the Demonic Cult with what little we’ve got."

For now, they could manage. The Demonic Cult’s forces seemed to be testing the waters, and Kunlun’s current strength was enough to hold them back.

But Pungwol knew the truth.

Mount Tian, that damned demon nest, was crawling with countless demonic cultivators. What had arrived so far was nothing more than a fraction of their forces.

And if one of the Great Demon Lords, who commanded the Ten Thousand Ghost Army, showed up...

Even the Kunlun Sect—known for its ability to counter demonic energy—would struggle to withstand them.

"Why the hell are those lunatics acting up again? Goddamn bastards. I wouldn’t hesitate to rip them limb from limb if I could...."

"Elder...?"

"What?"

"Ah, it’s nothing."

"Damn it."

Pungwol looked up at the blocked ceiling and muttered.

"If only some mysterious expert fell from the heavens to help us."

"Elder, that..."

"I know, you idiot! I’m not senile yet, so shut up!"

"Yes, sir."

"Good grief."

Pungwol clicked his tongue.

*****

"The final stop is Mount Kunlun... Hmm. This should work."

Seo-jun’s target was Mount Tian—the Demonic Cult’s stronghold.

Since it was an absurdly long journey, he made sure to prepare thoroughly.

‘Hanan, Shaanxi, Gansu, then Kunlun. From there, I’ll fly straight to Tian Mountain. No chance of getting lost.’

It wouldn’t do any good for news to spread that an orthodox martial artist was heading to the Demonic Cult. That kind of attention would only lead to unnecessary complications.

Fortunately, Seo-jun had a backup identity for situations like this...

‘Baek Seo-jun, you’re up!’

He planned to travel in disguise as Baek Seo-jun until he reached the Demonic Cult’s outskirts. Once inside, he’d switch to his Cheon Seo-jun persona.

That way, his true identity as Lee Seo-jun—and his link to Cheon Seo-jun—would remain completely hidden.

"Seo-jun, did you finish packing?"

Namgung Su-a peeked her head through the door just then.

"Yeah. I’m all set."

"Good. Then there’s something I need to tell you...."

With a sly smile, Namgung Su-a stepped into the room.