Chapter 537
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“It’s darker than I thought.”
I stood in front of Lee Cheong-un with Jin So-cheong, Gyeok-ho, and the Sword Demon. Lee Cheong-un glanced at the Sword Demon and said, “Sword Demon, my teachings will focus mainly on the Thunder God Lineage, and since I have to concentrate on Baek Woong’s improvement, I won’t be able to give you much attention. Is that okay?”
The Sword Demon nodded, “No problem. As long as I can practice the Seven Great Techniques and Eight Immortals Divine Art, that’s enough for me. Just answer my questions when you have time.”
“Understood.”
Lee Cheong-un turned to me and said, “Baek Woong, first gather up all the remaining obsidian and give one to me and one to Jin So-cheong. Make sure they’re imbued with the essence of martial arts and experience.”
“Got it.”
Lee Cheong-un, being a master, needed the obsidian, and Jin So-cheong demonstrated exceptional potential, so she needed it too. I divided the obsidian from my wooden armor into two large pieces, putting as much wisdom and experience into them as I could. Lee Cheong-un and Jin So-cheong seemed to meditate for about half a moment, absorbing those experiences.
Once he collected his thoughts, Lee Cheong-un said, “Alright, let’s start training. First, we’ll all practice the forms of the Seven Great Techniques and Eight Immortals Divine Art together. After three days, once you’re familiar with the forms, we’ll dive into the advanced techniques and study the essence. Also, the process of studying the essence will involve group discussions about our insights.”
As Lee Cheong-un instructed, the first few days were spent mastering the forms. No matter how much enlightenment I acquired through the obsidian, it was crucial to embody that wisdom in my body. Although I felt I had trained hard enough already, I went along to keep pace with the group.
Three days later, it seemed everyone was comfortable with the forms as Lee Cheong-un and Jin So-cheong were no surprise, and even the Sword Demon and Gyeok-ho had the qualities of prodigies. After finishing the forms, Gyeok-ho grumbled, “Damn, I want obsidian too…”
I replied bitterly, “Sorry. To store a lot of memories in one go, we need a lot of obsidian. Just hang tight until Miho buys the mines.”
“I get that, but can’t we just ask that prophet or whatever for some ore from our hometown? That would be much more efficient.”
“I asked before, but it’s supposed to be a secret, so no go.”
Gyeok-ho scratched his head, “That was about his subordinates, right? The prophet is the king of that clan, so why not negotiate directly with him? Considering the value of the treasures you have, you could probably give him something of equivalent value.”
“Hmm…” I hadn’t thought of that. I nodded at Gyeok-ho’s suggestion, “Alright. I’ll check with him when I find some spare time during training.”
It seemed that Zhuge Sa and Mangnyang had already contemplated this option. However, throughout my past lives, practices were often skipped because of my obsession with winning in one lifetime, saving treasures instead. This time, however, I decided to focus on boosting my potential, so that plan could be very effective.
After finishing the form training, Lee Cheong-un said, “From now on, we’ll focus on the Seven Great Techniques and Eight Immortals Divine Art, and Baek Woong, you’ll practice the martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage with me.”
“Huh?” I looked at Lee Cheong-un, puzzled, “Why do you want to teach me the Thunder God Lineage martial arts again?”
“Sure, direct improvement might be faster if you learn Jang Sam-bong’s techniques. But to break through the Absolute Realm, you must walk a path comparable to it. Baek Woong, you haven’t fully tapped the hidden potential in the Thunder God Lineage martial arts yet, so you need to solidify that first.”
As he explained, Lee Cheong-un frowned slightly, “Sigh… this is all my fault.”
“…? Why is it your fault, Lee Cheong-un?”
“Because I died suddenly in the past, you weren’t able to master the Thunder God Lineage martial arts completely. In reality, I should have been alive to fully pass down all the essences and techniques of the Thunder God Lineage…”
He looked up at the sky, “Guang Ah is also a genius of Muwak, but he learned from me for only about ten years. At least five more years of instruction were necessary, but due to the sudden removal of the Thunder God Lineage, Guang Ah was left without the proper vision. And you, who became his disciple, have also strayed from the essence of Thunder God Lineage.”
“That’s not Lee Cheong-un’s fault.” I said firmly. “If you had supported the Sect Master’s proposal back then, the Sect Master might have led the strongest White Lotus Sect and charged into the Central Plains. I believe the disappearance of the strongest martial lineage, the Thunder God Lineage, blunted his ambitions. If the Sect Master had conquered the Central Plains, eventually…”
“Right. The gods intervened, everything turned chaotic, and millions were massacred.” Lee Cheong-un smiled as he spoke. “…Well, it might not have happened exactly that way, but I appreciate the sentiment. There’s probably no one who can speak as resolutely as you do, given that you’re a reborn person.”
“……”
“Anyway, I failed to fully pass on the essence of the Thunder God Lineage to Guang Ah. So this time, I want to pass it on to you. This training will be immensely helpful in ascending to the Absolute Realm.”
“Hmm… if I may say, I think I’ve pretty much mastered the Thunder God Lineage techniques…” I trailed off.
Which isn’t a stretch, since I had been studying the techniques of Thunder God Lineage for over a hundred years. I had mastered not only the Decisive Enlightenment, but also the fist, spear, and various techniques, including some from the Ghostly Spirit Sect. Moreover, concerning the sword techniques of Thunder God Lineage, I could proudly say I was the best, apart from Dokgo Seong. Right now, both Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong didn’t know as much about the Thunder God Lineage as I did.
Then, Lee Cheong-un burst into laughter. “Hahaha! That’s certainly true. Even in my time, there were very few who learned as much about the Thunder God Lineage as you have. However, aren’t you somewhat unaware of the methods of linking those techniques, the minor techniques, and the hidden techniques?”
“There are hidden techniques?”
“There are. And at your current skill level, you qualify to receive that knowledge.”
Sitting nearby, Gyeok-ho raised his hand. “Sir!”
“What is it, Gyeok-ho?”
“If there are hidden techniques, I want to learn them too.”
“No. This knowledge only applies to those who have fully mastered all the martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage.”
“Tsk…”
After that conversation, the three of us had separate training times, and I headed to the training ground with Lee Cheong-un. He slowly lifted his spear and said, “First… I’ll demonstrate the techniques that match your level.”
“Okay.”
Clang!
I began sparring with Lee Cheong-un using spear techniques. The claim that he would adjust to my level was no exaggeration; he wasn’t using the Thunder Spirit technique and was entirely adapting to my movements. During the encounter, he used the three pivotal techniques of Lan, Na, and Chan, attacking me, and I easily countered.
Crash!
“……!!”
But suddenly there was a sound like a swarm of bees, and the spear tip transformed into a round object, changing its trajectory. I swiftly ducked to avoid it. As I was thrown into chaos by this unexpected transformation, Lee Cheong-un withdrew his spear and said, “See? That’s how it’s done.”
“How did you do that?”
“It’s nothing special. Let me show you slowly.”
Lee Cheong-un began to move his spear at a leisurely pace. He demonstrated the transformation of the basic techniques slowly enough for me to see. I observed his movements intently and realized something.
“Thunder Dragon Sword! And Thunder Cloud Fist.”
“Well done. As you guessed, I blended the basics of those two martial arts into my spear techniques.”
“But that’s…”
Integrating sword and fist techniques into spear techniques! Actually, I could do it if I tried, but just now, Lee Cheong-un had fused two wildly different martial arts into the incredibly fast spear technique of the Absolute Slash. That was an incredibly difficult feat. As I stared in disbelief, Lee Cheong-un said, “You must have noticed that Jin So-cheong wielded both a sword and a spear during your past life’s battles against the leaders of the Twin Gate Sect.”
“I remember that incident.”
“That child, with her innate genius, figured it out. The fact that all martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage are interlinked and produce an enhanced effect…”
Lee Cheong-un murmured, then suddenly unleashed a blindingly fast spear strike right in front of my eyes.
Boom!
Since there was no malice in it, I didn’t dodge, and as the spear stopped right at my nose, I looked at Lee Cheong-un in awe. He remarked, “I just combined some techniques. Did you realize?”
“Yes. Using Thunder Shadow Step and Hell King’s Hand, then suddenly transitioning to Thunder Blade and Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique…”
“You caught that well. Indeed, you are an outstanding expert of the Thunder God Lineage.”
Smiling, Lee Cheong-un continued, “You appear to be using only a single martial technique, but in reality, the martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage, including Divine Technique, Fist Technique, Sword Technique, Spear Technique, etc., can all organically connect and achieve miraculous art.”
It was made that way from the beginning, refined over thousands of years by countless masters.”
I gasped in amazement. “Wow…!!”
“That’s why, including myself, all the masters of the Thunder God Lineage had to master everything rather than focusing on just one technique.”
“……”
“You seem to have something on your mind.”
“So, does it mean that if I unfold the martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage organically, I will become even stronger?”
Lee Cheong-un nodded. “Of course. You will definitely grow stronger. I guarantee it.”
“Hmm!”
“And teaching the domain of miraculous art is reserved for at least peak experts and successors of the masters. Most experts of the Thunder God Lineage went to their graves without even knowing about it.”
“But Jin So-cheong often utilized the miraculous art domain you just mentioned…”
“So Jin So-cheong is incredibly gifted. This is the essence that can only be passed down through one-on-one instruction from a master and requires a long period of training to grasp thoroughly. Somehow, she managed to reach that level just by intuition.”
“……”
I found myself at a loss for words. If Lee Cheong-un was correct, the miraculous art domain had no specific techniques but was clearly the highest victory attained by linking the ascendant martial arts I had learned until now. The talent that Jin So-cheong achieved so easily was both frightening and amazing.
Then I suddenly remembered something and asked, “I don’t know much about the Ghostly Spirit Sect’s martial arts. I only know the basics of the techniques like the Demon Artifact and Magnetism Ghost Blade. Is it still okay for me to learn the miraculous art domain?”
“It’s fine. That’s a bit unique, so it won’t matter if you don’t know it.”
“Oh?” Lee Cheong-un spoke with a slightly uncomfortable voice.
“I’ve tackled the martial arts and techniques of the Ghostly Spirit Sect to a point as well. But the more I learn, the more I think they are fundamentally different from the core of the Thunder God Lineage. Not that they are enemies, but they’re more like an alien entity that got mixed into the Thunder God Lineage during its early days.”
“……?”
“Hehe. Next time, ask an heir from the Ghostly Spirit Sect. They have a lot of secrets.”
“Okay.”
And training began. I continuously practiced sparring with Lee Cheong-un, absorbing the techniques, and within a day, I managed to learn about eight of them. Applying them in real-life scenarios came together quickly within the same day, and I felt a swell of confidence.
‘Oh? Am I surprisingly talented?’
However, as training progressed, my expression darkened. The next day, I learned eight entirely new techniques. Because the new techniques tangled up in my mind and couldn’t be properly memorized, I wasted about two days repeating the training over and over.
On the third day, just as I finally grasped a little, Lee Cheong-un said, “Not yet. You need to engrain the strengths and weaknesses of all the techniques you’ve learned so far into your bones. You have to fully understand them to apply them. You need to memorize at least a thousand moves and combinations!”
“Ugh…!!” I moaned. “A thousand? How am I supposed to memorize all that?”
“It may seem like a lot, but in reality, it’s merely applying all the techniques you’ve already mastered. And the number of basic techniques you’ve learned far exceeds that.”
“That’s true, but…”
As I hesitated, Lee Cheong-un said, “You’re either slow-witted or average. You must realize you lack talent.”
“……”
“Therefore, to reach the level of application and essence that’s only accessible to geniuses, you must make hundreds of times the effort. I’m confident that once you grasp the domain of miraculous art, your understanding of martial arts will greatly improve.”
“But there’s so much to take in…”
As I sighed, Lee Cheong-un flashed a grin. “Trust me. From what I see, even if you only superficially learn the Seven Great Techniques and Eight Immortals Divine Art, you won’t gain much and will end up confused. However, if you deepen your mastery of your primary martial art, the Thunder God Lineage, and your understanding matures, naturally, mastering those arts will become easier.”
“Ugh… I understand.”
There was no one else, but the words of the Thunder God Lineage’s senior master and peak expert had to be trusted. I was disheartened by the seemingly endless training process but had no choice but to persist.
Approximately three months later, I still wasn’t well-versed in the domain of miraculous art, but somehow, I felt I had grasped the essence of blending spear and fist techniques. Since this wasn’t about memorizing hundreds of distinct cases, but rather the method to combine what I had already learned, it was easier than I expected.
‘But I don’t feel like I’ve gotten significantly stronger…’
To be blunt, I was merely unfolding what I already knew in different ways.
As my grievances piled up, Zhuge Sa called out to me, “Baek Woong, the Imperial Palace has begun to move.”
He continued slowly, “Now that you’ve rescued the hostages from Great Thunder Valley, it seems they are officially starting to gather humans for the purpose of human sacrifice.”
“Human sacrifice?”
“Yes. Currently, unofficially, the Golden Eagle Guard and the Duke of Guanzhong are buying slaves from all over the country to gather in Luoyang. The number is roughly five thousand…”
That made sense.
The Golden Eagle Guard would have connections to the Wind Spirit Sect, which operates the slave markets, making it easier to acquire slaves. Mangnyang, who was standing next to Zhuge Sa, chimed in, “Based on our discussions, it seems they intend to create Dragon People and Demon People. They likely want to rapidly build a fighting force.”
“Hmm… Superhuman soldiers.”
“Also, as offerings for human sacrifice, they may be looking to enhance their own martial arts and receive powerful demon artifacts.”
I released a sound of concern. Superhuman soldiers like Dragon People and Demon People possessed extraordinary physical abilities, and there was no guarantee even a peak expert could suppress them without injury. I had firsthand experience of how powerful they could become when produced in numbers. I spoke worriedly, “Then should we strike the Imperial Palace now to take Zhuge Yulong and the Emperor down…?”
“No. We won’t do that.”
“Huh? Then should we expose Zhuge Yulong’s schemes to the Celestial Realm and inform King Mi-hu…?”
“We won’t do that either.”
Stubbornly, Zhuge Sa crossed his arms and continued, “Just let it be.”
“What?”
“In any case, there’s a limit to the power of the legion Zhuge Yulong can produce. No matter how large they grow, they are destined to be massacred by the Master of the White Lotus Sect. Furthermore, they won’t be able to gather enough sacrifices from Luoyang or several nearby cities all at once. For now, they won’t be able to undertake any major plans, so let them do as they please while you continue your training.”
As I stood there, shocked by Zhuge Sa’s words, I exclaimed, “Zhuge Sa… are you saying we should just let human sacrifices happen?!”
“Yes. Whether their hearts are ripped out or they’ve been devoured by tentacles.”
Zhuge Sa said bluntly, “Are you thinking about rushing out to save them and risking your training time, only to get swept up in the chaotic tide of the world? The lives of five thousand human beings can’t compare to your own growth. Because what matters more than that is for you to become stronger and achieve your own goals.”
“But!!”
“Sending King Mi-hu down would also be unwise. Since he’s originally the Monster King, once he becomes a divine being, he can withstand the world almost indefinitely. You must know how much of a threat it would be for him to roam the world.”
“……”
When I fell silent, Zhuge Sa coldly stated, “I couldn’t care less about the lives of five thousand strangers. Mangnyang feels the same way. What’s important to us is that you, our master, achieve your goals.”
Each word from Zhuge Sa was correct. Nonetheless, I gritted my teeth and said, “So what’s the difference between me and the Master of the White Lotus Sect or the Vermilion Bird?!”
“There’s a difference. It has to be different. But that doesn’t mean you should be blinded by sentiment and remain stagnant, continually facing defeat. It means simply that many have died in vain.”
Zhuge Sa sighed. “Let me ask again, Baek Woong.”
With Zhuge Sa’s ensuing question, I stiffened. “Do you value the lives of five thousand strangers more than the seven lives you are sharing memories with right now?”
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