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“What does this even mean?”

As I cautiously eyed Lee Cheong-un, who had unexpectedly spoken, he continued, “First, I know you’re a determined guy without any special talent, and you’re not an evil person. If you were a depraved, cruel, and arrogant guy, folks like Mangnyang and the Sword Demon would’ve never come to your aid. The very fact that you’ve managed to build a faction around you shows you possess significant capabilities.”

Lee Cheong-un, having assessed me, nonchalantly carried on, “However, that’s different from mastering martial arts. And there’s no way you’ll reach the Thunder Spirit.”

“Why is that?”

“I told you, didn’t I? You lack talent.”

I felt something within me surge as that thought hit me again. No talent! I’ve been hearing that for over a century. I thought I’d grown accustomed to it, but facing the reality so directly made me feel distressed. But with a being as absolute as he before me, who represented the martial arts, I couldn’t really argue. I reluctantly managed to squeeze out, “I’ve tried. For over a hundred years…”

“I know. You’ve put in more time training than I have,” he replied.

“I’ve mastered a lot of the essential techniques of the Thunder God Lineage.” Lee Cheong-un nodded in acknowledgment.

“I can accept that. Even at the peak of the Thunder God Lineage, there were few who held as many techniques as you. You may not be at the pinnacle, but you definitely qualify as a senior or a Dharma Guardian of the Thunder God Lineage.”

“Now that I’ve laid down the foundation to challenge the Thunder Spirit, why…” I began.

He paused for a moment, then said, “Hmm… You resurrected me and have devoted much effort to the Thunder God Lineage during this time. Considering that merit, I’ll explain about the Thunder Spirit. After all, you’re not an outsider. Now, take a seat over there.”

I followed his instructions and sat down under the dim light of the mine. Lee Cheong-un, sitting opposite me, began to speak.

“You’ve gathered a lot of information on the Ultimate Technique of the Thunder God Lineage. And you learned that the transitional phase to the ultimate realm, known as the Martial Soul, is the Thunder Spirit.”

“Yes.”

“So let me ask you one thing. Why do you think the Thunder God Lineage seeks the ultimate martial soul, exceeding human martial arts, without compromising? If they just established an ultimate technique like the Wind or Fire Spirit Lineage, the flow would stabilize.”

“Hmm…”

This was something I had been pondering too. I knew other four great families had their ultimate techniques, so why was the Thunder God Lineage still developing an incomplete one over generations? Even Lee Kwang seemed to only hear the tales without knowing the true reason. After much thought, I replied, “I’m not sure.”

“It’s because they encountered the Martial God.”

“……?”

I tilted my head at the unexpected mention. ‘Martial God?’ It sounded familiar. As I racked my brain, I suddenly recalled.

[I’ve heard that foreigner’s story, and it’s made training enjoyable. I believe someday I’ll meet that Martial God.]

[Could it be that you’ve met the Martial God? Has he appeared to you?]

[Hehe… Indeed. I consider it a blessing.]

Jin So-cheong, Yeodong-bin, and the Master of the White Lotus Sect—these absolute beings of martial prowess spoke of it. I recognized the expression on my face, and Lee Cheong-un observed, “It seems three of them have encountered this Martial God. They had the qualifications to meet him.”

“What exactly is this Martial God?”

“To put it simply, it’s the God of Martial Arts. Sometimes referred to as an illusion, but those who transcend the absolute realm or have the qualifications to do so are destined to meet him.”

“……!!”

I exclaimed in shock, “Are you saying there is a divine being that governs the pure realm of martiality?!”

This was something I had never envisioned. The divine beings I had met until now were all either immortals or old rulers, merely powerful entities. The thought of transcendent beings managing such an uncertain and vast concept as martiality had never crossed my mind. Staring at Lee Cheong-un, who nodded, I struggled to reply.

“The martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage actually reached their peak five generations ago. Even compared to the prominent martial arts of Jianghu, they were overwhelming, and in the same league, none could compete with the Thunder God Lineage except for Su Shin Lineage. You, having trained in it, must know how outstanding its techniques are.”

“That’s true,” I admitted sincerely.

“The martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage are indeed supreme techniques.” Excluding those like the Master of Shadowless Sword, or Jang Sam-bong of the Wudang Sect, the Thunder God Lineage undeniably represented the pinnacle of martial arts. During my earlier days of foolishly accumulating internal power, I could rapidly grow when I finally began mastering their techniques. I had seldom encountered anything more profound than those arts, other than a few high-level experts.

The martial techniques from the families of Jianghu couldn’t hold a candle to what the Thunder God Lineage had to offer. Even the Masterless Wuying Sect’s techniques were probably the only competition.

Although there may be differences in the levels of martial arts, the essence remained unmatched. Considering the vastness of Jianghu, this was astonishing.

With every kind of weapon—fist, spear, sword—boasting the intricacies of millennia-old martial arts! Even in the current semi-decadence of the Thunder God Lineage, the martial abilities of Beolgeok Three Saints, Lee Kwang, and Dokgo Seong spoke volumes. The martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage are indeed among the greatest, competing for supremacy in the world!

Lee Cheong-un continued, “Before the Five Greats, the four ancestors of the Thunder God Lineage attempted to transcend the Realm of Intent. However, facing barriers along the way, the Martial God appeared before them. He revealed that there exists a realm known as the Martial Soul, guiding them towards transcendence. From that point on, the followers of the Thunder God Lineage have been striving to achieve the Martial Soul.”

“So that’s how it was.”

“… That realm is an illusionary space. Simply surpassing the Realm of Intent is already superhuman; how could mortals begin to fathom the world of martial arts beyond that? Hence, it became necessary for the followers of the Thunder God Lineage to first establish a stepping stone to reach it.”

That stepping stone must be the Thunder Spirit.

As I listened in silence to Lee Cheong-un, he calmly spoke under the dim light, “Baek Woong. Do you understand?”

“What are you saying?”

Lee Cheong-un replied firmly, “For a follower of the Thunder God Lineage to become the ultimate talent, they need decades of grueling effort coupled with incredible innate talent. What they created is the Thunder Spirit. Thus, fundamentally, the Thunder Spirit was made by geniuses and for geniuses!”

“……!!”

“Because the study of the Martial Soul is a mission only the followers of the Thunder God Lineage can inherit. The entry requirements can only be genius.”

As he muttered that, Lee Cheong-un’s expression turned bitter.

“Do you know why the formulas for the Thunder Spirit have transformed into incomprehensible commands? It’s because that realization was too vast, encoding and compressing dozens of advanced insights. Each insight is of a level where even a common person would need a lifetime to study. Only one genius per era might decipher or even enter it. Do you get it?”

I felt like I understood. There were reportedly four to five masters surpassing the level of the Thunderbolt Three Saints in the Thunder God Lineage’s heyday. The realm of Thunder Sword was akin to that realm, and simply reaching it implied I was likely on par or beyond the Master of Shadowless Sword.

Lee Cheong-un, who led the Thunder God Lineage through that competition, was himself the Dharma Guardian, whose genius had evoked envy and awe among all previous masters. Even the Master of the White Lotus Sect hesitated to challenge him alone, teaming up with Dokgo Jun instead.

Hence, I could take what Lee Cheong-un was saying at face value. He wasn’t bragging or showing off; he was merely stating the pure truth as the top expert in the Thunder God Lineage. Yet, deep down, I struggled to accept his point.

“If it’s about human lifespan, it might be impossible. But since I’ve been reborn, I can train for hundreds of years to master the Thunder Spirit!”

“True, that may be the case. But even if you train for a hundred years, it won’t be as good as what Jin So-cheong could master in a year.”

“……”

“You’ve already felt the gap in talent through your experiences with the Three Treasure Technique.”

I was lost for words at this sudden dose of reality. Lee Cheong-un sighed.

“I’m saying this out of concern for you. You’ve somehow raised your level using the insights and teachings of top experts and your fortuitous encounters all this time, right? That’s probably gotten you as far as the peak of the peak level. But past that stage, the difficulty skyrockets exponentially. Even I have been astonished by the terrifying challenges while training in the Thunder Spirit.”

“B-but…”

“Holding onto impossible dreams forever is a dreadful matter, isn’t it? If you could give up midway, that’d be a happy outcome. You’ve trained through countless lifetimes, will you really keep losing confidence and self-esteem while struggling to grasp incomprehensible martial arts?”

“Ugh.”

“Even Jin So-cheong couldn’t master the Thunder Spirit in ten years. I can guarantee that with my name on it.”

His words were so compelling. Even now, I couldn’t properly grasp even one instance of the Three Treasure Technique, just anxiously waiting for the sect leader’s interpretation. How could I hope to lumber through something a hundred times harder like the Thunder Spirit for hundreds of years? I’d surely end up losing my humanity in the process.

Lee Cheong-un spoke gently, “There are many ways to grow strong beyond martial arts. Don’t you think? To me, the ultimate technique of the Thunder God Lineage just isn’t your path. You should give it up.”

“……”

In my mind, Zhuge Sect also chimed in while we all listened to Lee Cheong-un.

[He’s right on the money, you know. Lee Cheong-un really is a good guy. Normally, they’d toss some advanced technique at you and act all superior.]

[Lee Kwang would have done that.]

[Let it go, I say. The ultimate technique of the Thunder God Lineage is beyond mere mortals to grasp.]

I fell silent. Deep down, I wanted to reject this notion. I still wanted to try, and they shouldn’t hastily judge me. But logically, their judgment was spot on, and I could see they even considered my own feelings. I couldn’t deny that. I bit my lip in stubbornness and declared, “You know the situation I’m in, right?”

“I do.”

“The Master of the White Lotus Sect has taken almost all my treasures, and I’m being forced to stick with them under the pretense of being a disciple and a Dharma Guardian.”

Lee Cheong-un fixed his gaze upon me, unblinking. I didn’t shy away, looking directly into his eyes as I said, “I desperately need your help, Lee Cheong-un. Please, help me.”

“……”

An unexpected flicker of light shone from the torch fixed to the cave wall. After a moment of silence, Lee Cheong-un said, “Since you’re a reborn person, it’s only fitting that I help you.”

The wording felt peculiar. ‘Huh?’ Why did he say he’d help me just because I was reborn? He didn’t have any special bond with me, as far as I knew. But regardless of my puzzled thoughts, Lee Cheong-un continued.

“However, I want to have some say in the methods. First, I’d like to meet my disciple and discuss everything that’s transpired. I want to teach him what I couldn’t share with Gwang Yi. It’s not ideal to fight with the Master of the White Lotus Sect right now.”

“That’s a fair point, but… please tell me before that.” I brightened up.

“How to obtain the Heavenly Spirit Pill and what happened fifty years ago!”

“So you’re asking that, are you?”

“Yes. To be frank, that’s why I resurrected you.”

“Naturally, I’ll share what you wish to know. It’s only fair as payment for my resurrection.”

Lee Cheong-un slowly continued, “But even if you know, will it actually hold any significance?”

“……?”

Whether it was the method for acquiring the Heavenly Spirit Pill or the backstory from fifty years ago, it would be an immense boon.

So why this skeptical reaction from Lee Cheong-un?

Before I could ponder this, he opened his mouth again.

“Let’s start with how to obtain the Heavenly Spirit Pill.”

Finally! I could learn how to acquire the boundless internal power—the Heavenly Spirit Pill!

I was so tense with anticipation I felt like I could hardly breathe. Was the secret I’d been wanting to discover for decades about to be unveiled?

“It begins with the ritual presided over by the Sect Leader of the Su Shin Lineage, where each of the four great families displays their priests’ martial arts for three days and nights straight. And as the ceremony reaches its climax, the final act involves making a pact with an entity of darkness.”

“A pact?”

“Perhaps more appropriately called a vow.” Lee Cheong-un murmured.

“In the world’s center… it felt like an unholy phrase crept through my soul, incomprehensible. At the same time, it felt like something far away was forming a connection with me, vowing to embrace the darkness.”

“……?”

“Once that vow is completed, you’ll obtain the Heavenly Spirit Pill.”

What is this supposed to mean? I understood that it involved making a pact with a dark entity, but the content of the vow made no sense to me. I frowned but gathered my thoughts.

“In other words, I need the Sect Leader’s help and must learn the priest’s martial arts.”

“Something like that. In that regard, Baek Woong, you’re closer to the Heavenly Spirit Pill than anyone else.”

Hearing Lee Cheong-un’s words, I felt my previously gloomy mood lift a bit. So continuing my role as the Dharma Guardian of the Thunder God Lineage meant that eventually, I would gain access to the Heavenly Spirit Pill! I couldn’t help but feel joy as Lee Cheong-un continued.

“We also need to discuss what transpired fifty years ago.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“…….”

Suddenly, Lee Cheong-un stopped mid-sentence and fell silent. I stared at him, puzzled by his change. He appeared to be in deep thought. Finally, he said, “Baek Woong, before I recount that day, I need to ask you something.”

“What do you want to know?”

His next question filled me with confusion. “Can you forgive Lee Kwang?”

“……!!”

“I need to hear this answer before I can tell you what happened that day.”

What should I say? Honestly, this question had yet to find form within me. I would eventually need to confront Lee Kwang, but the various facets of his character I had witnessed made it difficult to resolve my feelings into a single statement. There was an amalgam of love and hate, making it awkward to just outright judge him.

And surely, Lee Cheong-un must have sensed this internal struggle and asked the question to probe my true feelings, knowing Lee Kwang was his disciple.

Pondering for a while, I answered with sincerity, “I plan to encase all my memories in obsidian and show them to Lee Kwang. After that, I’ll decide based on his true intentions. It hinges on him, not me.”

This felt like the best course of action for now. Whether I wanted to kill or save him would be determined thereafter. Lee Cheong-un smirked at this.

“Hmm… You really are incompatible with Gwang Yi’s nature.”

“I’ve sensed that for a hundred years now.”

“Hahaha.” He let out a hearty laugh.

“Then, allow me to tell you what happened that day…”

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