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I headed towards the training ground set up at Zhongnan Sect with Lee Cheong-un. First off, I concentrated all my insights on martial arts that I’d gained up to now into the obsidian and passed it on to him. Lee Cheong-un seemed to savor the memory for a moment before a grin crept across his face.

“Seems like I’m in for a challenge. I guess I have no choice but to give you a little push…”

With that, Lee Cheong-un suddenly tossed a spear my way from nearby. As I caught it, he continued, “Let’s cut to the chase: even with Jang Sam-bong’s martial arts, it’s not enough to witness the complete form of Thunder Spirit.”

“……?”

Wait, what? Did he just make a definitive statement?

When I looked at him, Lee Cheong-un was already speaking again, letting the spear dangle in his grip.

“As you know, after being resurrected thanks to you, I started teaching kids at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School and interpreting Jang Sam-bong’s Seven Great Techniques in my own way. The memories of practicing those techniques from your collective experiences seeped right in, making it easier for me to acquire them. That’s how I was able to get strong at such a quick pace.”

“Hmm… I see.”

“Jang Sam-bong’s martial arts are nothing short of amazing. He truly is a Grand Master unlike any other in the Martial Arts World.”

His eyes glimmered as he spoke.

“However… I can’t shake the feeling that his Thunder Spirit is far from the pinnacle of martial arts. To be more precise, I’d say it’s lacking in experience.”

“Experience, you say?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Lee Cheong-un continued, “It might sound preposterous coming from someone who hasn’t even mastered the Peerless Technique, but there’s no way to reach the ultimate realm with what we’ve got.”

I was flabbergasted and shot back, “As far as I know, Jang Sam-bong’s Seven Great Techniques are the best there are in the Martial Arts World. If that’s not enough, then what can we do?”

“Ah, I misspoke. That’s not what I meant.”

He waved his hands dismissively.

“In other words… while the Seven Great Techniques can fill part of the terrifying experience points needed to step into the ultimate realm, it’s still not enough. It’s like setting up a ceiling without raising a single pillar.”

“……”

“To reach the Martial Soul, you’ll need techniques that are at least equal to or above the same rank.”

I could finally understand what he meant. This meant that the Seven Great Techniques were a tremendous help in breaking through the limits that the Thunder God lineage had been researching. But even so, it seemed Lee Cheong-un, being a genius, felt that merely having the Seven Great Techniques wouldn’t be enough to reach that pinnacle. Therefore, it looked like he wanted to gather more techniques that were equal or greater to the Seven Great Techniques for further study.

But was that even logical?

Jang Sam-bong’s Seven Great Techniques were a culmination of a great master in the Martial Arts World and perhaps even the ultimate martial artist of all time, the Peerless Jang Sam-bong’s most significant insight. There might be a few martial arts that could rival the Seven Great Techniques, but I couldn’t think of anything that could match or surpass it.

If I had to pick a possible candidate, I’d say the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique by Yeodong-bin or the martial arts by the Master of the Twelve Joules. But the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique belonged to an immortal’s swordplay without any basics, and what kind of martial arts Master of the Twelve Joules was practicing wasn’t even clear. I let out a sigh.

“Even if I were to be reborn, finding something like that seems almost impossible…”

“Haha… I might’ve gone off on a tangent. My apologies.”

Lee Cheong-un chuckled.

“I’m not saying the Seven Great Techniques are lacking. I fully acknowledge that they can surpass our Thunder God lineage’s martial arts. Just one mastered technique could allow one to conquer the world.”

“Hmm…”

“But… delving into such a remarkable technique has only fueled my desires further. To rise even higher… to step into the realm of greater martial knowledge!”

“I understand.”

“Just keep what I just said in mind. I just presented you with one of your future goals.”

With that, Lee Cheong-un nodded.

“Now, try to attack me using your spear techniques.”

“Fine.”

Swoosh!

I immediately executed the Thrusting Technique against Lee Cheong-un. Of course, I knew an attack like this wouldn’t faze someone who had reached the Thunder Spirit, but I figured there had to be a reason he asked me to do this. Sure enough, he skillfully dodged my full-powered thrust and shifted two steps to the side.

Lee Cheong-un smirked.

“Nice! Your spear skills are commendable. That was a superb thrust!”

I felt a little pleased hearing the praise from a Thunder God disciple. But trying not to show it, I replied, “Well, I’ve trained solely in spear techniques.”

There was a time when I’d experienced hardship, enduring Lee Kwang’s incessant nagging to focus on spear techniques. Back then, having practiced the Ranna Chul to the point of creasing my soul, it was only natural I used the spear well. Even though my primary martial art now was swordsmanship, the knowledge I had learned didn’t simply vanish.

“Alright, watch closely.”

Lee Cheong-un grasped his spear and attacked me.

Swoosh!

He deliberately employed the Thrusting Technique at a visible speed for my internal power. The spearhead was hovering right in front of my heart. As I stared vacantly at the spear thrust, Lee Cheong-un’s words rang in my ears.

“Didn’t the breath unify in this strike?”

“That it did.”

“The Three Treasure Technique is just like the foundational basics of spear techniques. Synchronizing your breath and rhythm is crucial.”

As Lee Cheong-un pulled back his spear, he continued, “From looking at your memories, I see that the reason the Three Treasure Technique stumbles is because of that.”

“Hmm…”

I released a hum of realization. My progress in the Three Treasure Technique had indeed been sluggish previously, but I had no idea why, and hearing this unexpected answer helped a lot.

“The form of the Seven Stars Shadow might be easy to imitate, but digging into its nuances to use it properly requires a considerable amount of training time. If you examine it closely, every change that sprouts from a step of the Seven Stars Shadow also alters the breath. You’ve been using the Seven Stars Shadow with your expert sense while only half tracking the changes, so your attempts keep getting tangled up.”

“I never considered that.”

“Well, think of it this way: slight discrepancies accumulate and lead to errors. The Seven Stars Shadow requires extreme precision.”

“But the Sect Leader never mentioned that…”

It’s true. The Sect Leader had only told me to practice diligently and to revisit the progress of the Three Treasure Technique, but never mentioned breathing. Lee Cheong-un then spoke again.

“The Sect Leader probably believed that by training your body, you would eventually grasp the breath and rhythm one day. And indeed, you have gradually improved the timing of the Three Treasure Technique while practicing day and night. With thousands of repetitions under your belt, this is only natural. At this rate, you should be able to employ it properly within three years.”

“Whoa!”

“But for now, we don’t have time. You might soon find yourself in a situation where you need to utilize the Three Treasure Technique immediately. Therefore, I’ll inject that rhythm into you using my attributes.”

“Inject?”

Lee Cheong-un nodded.

“From now on, I won’t stop attacking you. Using Ranna Chul.”

“……!!”

“And of course, I’ll be using variations and transformations as well. Just use the Three Treasure Technique to dodge it.”

“Can I counterattack?”

“Do as you please, if you can.”

Whoosh…

Two translucent spears materialized around Lee Cheong-un. As I realized they were spear tips made of intent rather than Qi, I swallowed hard.

‘Using Qi to wield spears!’

With the wooden spear he was holding, there were a total of three spears attacking me. Usually, simply creating and maintaining these intent-based spears would leave someone completely exhausted, but I knew that was not the case for me. As my expression stiffened, Lee Cheong-un chuckled.

“Seems like you’ve figured it out.”

“Is this Hell Training?”

“Indeed. As you’re aware, I have the Heavenly Spirit Pill, giving me effectively infinite stamina. And while you don’t have the Heavenly Spirit Pill, you still possess remarkable internal power. If stamina runs low, you can convert your internal power, making this the ideal conditions for Hell Training.”

My expression twisted.

“Ugh… But if that’s the case… I won’t be able to eat, sleep, or rest…”

“Heh heh. You’ll just have to keep dodging.”

His laughter sent shivers down my spine.

Hell Training!

I knew how torturous it was, having tried it once before to obtain the Sword Strength. I had my doubts about how I succeeded back then. And if it were Lee Cheong-un, he could roll me over like the Bright Dragon! I looked at him with anxious eyes.

“Um… wouldn’t it be better to just search for offerings to offer to the Primordial Void Ruler? Even if I become a little stronger, it won’t have much effect on the overall situation…”

“No! Just the opposite. Even if we all perish, you must gain something!”

Lee Cheong-un pronounced firmly, aiming his spear at me.

“Once you grasp the rhythm of the Three Treasure Technique, I’ll share the combinations we uncovered in our Thunder God lineage. You must learn this! Only then can you get stronger quicker.”

“Combinations… you say? In that case…”

“Of course I discovered more than just the Three Treasure Technique.”

He grinned.

“The Landlord King and the Three Treasure Technique are just part of the potential of the Seven Great Techniques. Just knowing what’s possible will allow you to save a lot of time moving forward.”

“Umm…!!”

“Alright, enough chit-chat. I’m off!”

I realized I had no choice in this. I never expected to be subjected to Hell Training out of the blue in a place like this, but I had to do it anyway. Hardened my resolve, I responded.

“Yes!”

Whoosh!

The air ripped as Lee Cheong-un’s thrust came at me.

‘A speed I can dodge.’

I was able to sidestep the spear thrust using the Three Treasure Technique. Following that, an application of Ranna Chul came flying in, but I managed to dodge that too. It seemed Lee Cheong-un was attacking me at a moderate level without using acceleration, likely refraining from using Thunderclap. I thought I had a moment to breathe, but that thought only lasted for twenty seconds. The moment surpassed twenty seconds, Lee Cheong-un mixed in feints, launching the summoned weapons at me.

In an instant, the entire space felt consumed by spear shadows.

“Ugh!!”

I let out a scream as I stumbled back. Just a moment ago, one spear came from an angle I couldn’t evade, piercing my arm. I quickly examined my arm, only to find there was no wound.

“What?”

Lee Cheong-un smiled wide.

“That was made of intent, so it only inflicts pain on your mental strength and nervous system. But too much of it could still leave you stunned.”

Thud!

“Cough!!”

I screamed again as I was struck by a spear in the heart. As real as it felt, it wasn’t being pierced by a real spear. Still, it hurt enough to make me feel like I was being skewered by a long needle. While it wasn’t the intensity of a spear piercing, the agony was certainly real.

Once I managed to catch my wits and cast the Three Treasure Technique to evade, Lee Cheong-un attacked me furiously like an Asura.

Stab! Stab! Stab!

“Ranna Chul! Thrust!”

Crack! Crack! Crack!

A flood of spear assaults came rushing in.

I realized after Lee Cheong-un’s attacks passed the one-hundred-second mark and reached two hundred seconds that I had managed to dodge around sixty percent of them. In other words, I was taking the brunt of the other forty percent. As pain surged from the intent, I stumbled, and Lee Cheong-un shouted.

“Get it together! You’ve trained enough with the Three Treasure Technique to dodge all these attacks!”

“Gah…”

“Focus on the precise rhythm! Channeling your every thought into it! It’s about achieving the precision of threading a needle!”

“……!!”

“Precision! That’s the essence of the Three Treasure Technique!”

Thud! Crash!

Of course, if I could have realized it simply through that advice, I wouldn’t be struggling like this. For the next thousand seconds, I was engulfed in pain and ran around like I was on fire. Lee Cheong-un momentarily lowered his spear, giving me a breather.

“Now, stand up! We’re out of time.”

I spat blood as I spoke.

“Cough… just give me a moment… I’m too hurt to concentrate on the techniques…”

“When did a martial artist from the Thunder God lineage start whining like that? Are you going to make excuses in real combat too?”

After scoffing, Lee Cheong-un suddenly compacted the distance and unleashed a punch at me.

Thud!

“Cough…”

I flew back from the punch while barely activating my self-defense technique in time to avoid injuries. However, an icy chill ran down my spine. What kind of goblin-like monster was this guy?

“Couldn’t dodge it again. Use the Three Treasure Technique.”

I spat out more blood.

“Ugh… easier said than done…”

“You’re overthinking it. The timing and changes of the precise breath have already engraved themselves into your body from practicing the Three Treasure Technique thousands of times. Do not disrupt the flow, but rather accept it as if you were water.”

Lee Cheong-un’s eyes sparkled like a tiger’s.

“You won’t have the luxury of breaks, so convert your internal power into stamina! I won’t give you another warning.”

“Understood!!”

I rushed to answer while gritting my teeth.

‘I get it now.’

In this reincarnation, Lee Kwang was unable to resist when faced with Lee Cheong-un, his energy completely drained. When I last saw him in Zhongnan Sect, he had merely played the role of an attendant to Lee Cheong-un. I had been puzzled by how this hot-tempered Lee Kwang had become so obedient.

But now it made sense. Lee Cheong-un of the Thunder God lineage! When not practicing or handling his disciples, he appeared soft-spoken and graceful, but once training began, he morphed into a terrifying monster akin to a tiger. He would surely flaunt ruthless brutality and path-of-the-sword techniques against the enemies of the Thunder God lineage. Lee Kwang must have learned this harsh demeanor from Cheong-un.

‘I have no choice!’

As painful and torturous as this was, I had to endure! Lacking talent, I needed this hellish training to advance to the next realm.

Thud!

Thump!

It took about seven days until I finally completed my endless evasion training. During that time, I neither ate nor drank, nor did I sleep while dodging Lee Cheong-un’s relentless spear strikes. He would occasionally grant me a brief respite for efficiency, but each break was far too short. I stood panting there, having exhausted all my stamina and energy.

My overworked body made my vision blurry. I felt on the verge of collapsing for a nap. My body was drenched in sweat and reeked of a foul odor. As I stared into the puddle of my sweat on the ground, Lee Cheong-un suddenly threw a single strike.

Swoosh!

This wasn’t merely a thrust. It was a combination strike linked with the intent spear from an unexpected angle forming a triple attack! For ordinary martial artists, this shift would be unrecognizable, and one of their vital points could be pierced, leading to their demise.

But in that instant, I employed the Three Treasure Technique to dodge Lee Cheong-un’s attack. Once I evaded, he finally lowered his spear and said, “With this, you’ve at least shortened your time by a year. Now you should be able to utilize what you have.”

“……”

I was too exhausted to respond. No doubt, Lee Cheong-un had provided me with immense training value, but what I suffered during the seven days of hellish training was no joke. To put it another way, it was an experience only someone like Lee Cheong-un with his Heavenly Spirit Pill could provide.

“Go wash up.”

He tossed his spear into a corner.

“After you rest a bit, I’ll tell you the research findings from our Thunder God lineage. That will take about two days, too.”

“… Why?”

“What do you mean?”

Gasping and catching my breath, I clenched my teeth and asked, “I’m simply learning martial arts because I need to. I don’t have the objective of reaching the extreme of martial arts like the Master of the White Lotus Sect or yourself. No matter how much of a genius you are, what was the reason you chose this never-ending path of hardship?”

I simply couldn’t grasp it.

When I asked, Lee Cheong-un flashed a knowing smile.

“Because I’m curious about what it means to be the best.”

“……”

“I despise the Sect Leader immensely, and even now, I want to kill him for vengeance… but in that regard, I sympathize with the Sect Leader. The absolute invincible realm, the pinnacle of martial arts, what does one see when they reach it? That’s why the disciples of the Thunder God lineage have strived through generations to attain the Martial Soul.”

“What if that realm doesn’t even reach the power of a god?”

“Well, that could be the case…”

Lee Cheong-un replied nonchalantly.

“To overcome the gods, to surpass nature… claiming that reason for pursuing the ultimate martial arts is just a word game. As the Sect Leader said, it’s the curse of unfulfilling desire, a contradiction that one can’t forsake until they reach it. The moment you start questioning why you pursue it, you’ve already lost.”

“You could simply give up, right? Why not?”

“Heh, let me ask you the opposite. You could abandon your reincarnation and just live comfortably, but why do you choose this struggle?”

“……”

“It’s the same. Whether it’s you or me… we refuse the limitations of flat life because we believe there’s something better ahead. There are various reasons behind that belief, and it can’t be summed up in one or two sentences.”

Lee Cheong-un turned his head in thought as he finished speaking.

“Only you can define that! That’s why you and I are living here and now.”

Seemingly ready for a break, Lee Cheong-un headed beyond the bamboo grove. I stared at his disappearing figure for a while before clenching my fist tightly. Normally, after suffering this much through hellish training, I’d sigh with relief, feeling a sense of accomplishment, but not now. Instead, a sense of continuity overwhelmed my heart.

Continuous life.

Could that be the driving force that keeps me going?

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