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I started practicing the fundamentals of the Thunder Dragon Sword and repeated the training of the Thunderbolt Technique repeatedly from that day on, all while refining my swordplay to greater precision. I had learned many sword techniques, but without mastering their essence, I felt hollow inside. Even though my internal power and the might of the Cave-Collapsing Sword prevented me from being outmatched by lesser opponents, I still fell helplessly short against peak experts.

On the day I hit the one-month mark in training, Dokgo Seong remarked in astonishment, “You really have some insane internal power and stamina.”

“Really?”

“Your rest periods have barely even reached ten moments. It must be because you’re converting internal power to stamina, but you seem limitless.”

As Dokgo Seong marveled, he added, “By the way, there are traces of other schools in your swordplay. What’s that about?”

“……”

“You need to tell me this if you want to speed up your progress.”

I secretly contacted Lee Cheong-un using the Suspicious Fishhook for some advice. He replied, [You can safely share the Cave-Collapsing Sword with my older brother, and even the Seven Great Techniques or the Eight Immortals Divine Art are fine.]

[Won’t Dokgo Seong become a significant variable later?]

[My older brother won’t step out into the world until he reaches the peak of his cultivation. And even if he does, he will always be on my side.]

[Then why didn’t you want me to give him the Obsidian?]

[I’ll tell you after you finish your training there. Remember, you can handle everything else, but right now, the Obsidian is off-limits.]

[Understood.]

Following Lee Cheong-un’s advice, I shared everything I knew about the Cave-Collapsing Sword with Dokgo Seong, and he was thoroughly astonished.

“Oh my! Such a sword technique…”

He seemed to memorize the fundamentals and ponder their mysteries. Then, in a suspicious tone, he asked, “Despite having mastered such a peerless technique, why are you still researching the Thunder God Lineage’s swordsmanship?”

“Because the more sword techniques I master, the broader my foundation becomes. And no matter how good this is, it’s still an external technique; I am of the Thunder God Lineage.”

Dokgo Seong appeared pleased with my answer, saying, “Fine. Then I’ll keep a closer eye on your training. And occasionally, teach me the Cave-Collapsing Sword as well.”

“Yes.”

Vwoom!

Thus, I dedicated nearly three months exclusively to training. I devoted myself to repetitive drills without pause, hoping to spark a flicker of inspiration. Another month passed, and Dokgo Seong commented, “It seems you’ve accumulated enough Thunder Energy. However, it seems you’re lacking in your Intent, preventing you from taking that final step.”

“Intent?”

“Didn’t the Thunderbolt claim to be the lightning of thought? That’s also a form of Mind Control Technique and requires strong mental fortitude. It’s not just a matter of thought; fundamentally, the Thunder Spirit Technique must possess a form that can convert into Thunder Energy.”

He continued with a light explanation, saying, “What is lightning? What are the strongest Thunder Spirits and laws in the world? You need to visualize the strongest lightning you can conceive. Yet you lack enough contemplation on this.”

“The strongest lightning…”

As I pondered, I voiced, “Is that meant to boost my confidence?”

“… It could be similar. Just think carefully about what Intent is.”

Dokgo Seong clenched his fist tightly and asserted, “By enhancing your Intent, you can achieve feats like this. It’s akin to a martial arts technique.”

With that, a few large branches behind him spontaneously cracked into pieces, as if Dokgo Seong had conjured a massive invisible fist through sheer thought, applying pressure to the air. He shook his hands off, saying, “You can do this too. But when you actually engage in martial arts, you rarely use such indirect attack methods, mixing your Intent into your techniques instead. Any idea why?”

I calmly replied, knowing full well, “Because the mental drain from employing only Intent is immense. It doesn’t add up to utilize it just by itself.”

“Exactly. So why is the drain so great?”

“Because interfering with this world solely using mental strength is incredibly difficult. After all, a formless fist doesn’t exist in nature.”

Dokgo Seong nodded in agreement. “So… is it difficult to create lightning, a natural phenomenon, using your Intent?”

“……”

“The reason you’ve been accumulating Thunder Energy from training the Thunder Dragon Sword all this time is to lower that difficulty. In other words, materializing the essence of [lightning] has become easier, as your body already contains Thunder Energy as a medium.”

His eyes glimmered. “That is the ultimate peak of the Thunder God Lineage, the realm of Thunder Principle! The long training of your Thunder Energy has already decreased the difficulty, so unlike other Mind Control techniques, you need not be shy about manifesting its power. Visualize the strongest Thunder Law in your mind!”

Listening to Dokgo Seong’s advice, I realized something was wrong. ‘Of course! I’ve been mistaking the difficulty of this for other Mind Control Techniques all along.’

The Thunder God Lineage, like the other great families, is martial arts centered around the natural spirit energy of Thunder, thereby training such energy right from the beginning. Hence, a master who has trained for a long time in the Four Great Families likely holds an exceptionally high affinity for that natural spirit energy. Therefore, it follows that a Mind Control Technique that employs a real natural spirit energy is bound to be more powerful.

Just as a warrior manifests their Intent through a sword, for a master of the Four Great Families, natural spirit energy serves as a weapon!

Inspired by Dokgo Seong’s words, from that day on, I reduced my Thunder Energy training by half and spent the rest of my time in meditation. As he said, I needed to refine my mental strength within to visualize the strongest lightning.

Yet, even after two more months, I still felt stuck in confusion. Finally, I mustered up the courage to ask Dokgo Seong, “I’m not making any progress.”

“That’s inevitable. The realm of Thunder Principle isn’t something you can just achieve overnight. It’s a level that only a rare few in the Thunder God Lineage have reached.”

With that, Dokgo Seong suggested, “If you’re really stuck, why not recall experiences from sparring against a strong opponent? It’d be good if you had fought some masters from the Four Great Families.”

“……!!”

“They also utilize natural spirit energy.”

At that moment, something clicked in my head, and I gasped. “Thank you!”

Fighting against masters of the Four Great Families? I’ve done plenty of that! I’ve had so many bouts with Yong Bi-cheon, who belongs to the Wind Spirit Sect, and Han Baek-ryeong from the Fire Spirit Sect. I’ve even sparred a few times with the Su Shin Sect. Not to mention I’ve also fought against fellow Thunder God Lineage members like Jin So-cheong and Lee Kwang. Moreover, during the time I instructed under the sect leader while learning the Seven Great Techniques, wasn’t I exposed to their advanced techniques and secret moves multiple times? I began to recall all the combat experiences I had with them.

As I reminisced about their technique applications and natural spirit energy manifestations, I thought, ‘The strongest lightning… should at the very least be able to surpass the natural spirit energies of the other families.’

Lightning started to grow within my heart. It felt as though it had long resided there, just now adopting form and evolving. At the same time, I contemplated the peak experts I had encountered, questioning whether they could withstand my lightning.

“……”

It’s tough.

I could easily imagine lightning that could crush the techniques of the Wind Spirit and Fire Spirit sects, but overcoming the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance of the sect leader or the Divine Kill Slash of Miyamoto Musashi, or even the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique of the Master of the Twelve Joules? Now that was challenging to envision. Merely imagining it made every pore in my body tighten and beads of sweat spring forth.

The Absolute Realm is the ultimate state a human can reach. Those who attain such a realm are powerful enough that they don’t even need to mix with lesser beings.

It would have been better had I not known of that level, but I had witnessed it with my own eyes several times, and a sigh escaped me. Could I really defeat them with the martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage?

If I hadn’t fallen into despair, it would be thanks to Lee Cheong-un’s Thunder Spirit. The Thunder Spirit is the greatest level of the Thunder God Lineage, standing firmly against the previous Absolute Realm, and I held a glimmer of hope that one day I, too, could reach the Thunder Spirit.

‘Wait. But what’s the strongest lightning that surpasses the Thunder Spirit?’

That’s something I couldn’t visualize.

How can there be lightning more powerful than that state, which attacks the brain while converting the entire body to thunder, nearly becoming an immortal? I could almost see Lee Cheong-un piercing through the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance!

I ultimately stopped pondering and resumed training the Thunderbolt Technique. I always felt a bit better moving if my head became too congested.

After about three more months, Dokgo Seong glanced at me, seemingly displeased. “Strange. Usually, you’d have reached the realm of Thunder Principle by now… yet you’re still condensing lightning on your surface?”

“……”

“I don’t know anymore. I think you’ve surpassed the limits of what I can teach. But as long as you don’t give up, I’ll continue to help you.”

Dokgo Seong’s words hinted that he had nearly given up himself. He must have assumed that being a disciple of the lineage would see me reach the Thunder Principle level, and I had disappointed him. Any normal person would crumble under the pressure of such a scenario, their mental strength devoured.

But I kept quiet and focused on my training. Complaining wouldn’t improve anything.

“… Rise.”

Lightning, arise.

Grant me courage.

Each day, I chanted that thought, envisioning massive bolts of lightning igniting the world and mountain regions, and even bolts that could pierce through the Golden Hall. Yet, none of these ideas would culminate in the manifestation of the Thunderbolt Technique, snuffing out before they could take form.

In the midst of this repetitive accumulation of Thunder Energy, I finally began to understand. ‘Is it because I think I can’t win?’

No matter how powerful the lightning I tried to envision with such a weak imagination, I was constantly feeling the wall of the Absolute Realm. Therefore, my imagination wasn’t the strongest, thus lacking the capacity to condense into Thunder Energy within me.

Intent is both imagination and the strength of the heart. If my heart can’t break through that wall, it can never take form.

Then should I consider the Thunder Spirit?

However, no matter how hard I thought, that transformation of the Thunder Spirit exceeded the capacity of the Mind Control Techniques I could employ by far. Since it’s the pinnacle of the Thunder God Lineage, it would require dozens of advanced insights to even begin to materialize. If I exceeded the capacity of the Mind Control Techniques, my brain would explode, resulting in self-destruction.

With no other options, and like a training regimen, I repeated hours of rigorous training with no rest, collapsing back into sleep repeatedly.

One day, Yeodong-bin appeared in my dreams. [Dear guardian.]

He regarded me while holding a sword against his chest. [Is your sword training aimed at defeating the evil?]

I was puzzled as to why Yeodong-bin was suddenly asking me questions. Yet, I decided to respond genuinely. [No.]

[Then?]

[To eliminate the gods and overcome the fate imposed on this world.]

[……]

[Surviving, then, in a world where even the soul cannot be saved.]

When I self-deprecatingly said this, Yeodong-bin replied, [Dream big without the means.]

[That’s what I always hear.]

[I’ve been watching you all along, but it’s been frustrating how ineffective you are.]

Then, with deliberate pauses, Yeodong-bin continued, [Dear guardian, your sword wishes to speak.]

[Huh?]

[I’ll give you the chance to hear the voice of the sword.]

Swish!

Slowly, Yeodong-bin’s figure began to fade. I realized he was trying to convey memories to me through this dream. Yet, feeling uncomprehending, I shouted, [Wait! Don’t you despise interfering with the world or the guardian? Why now…]

[……]

His reply never reached me, and I woke up from the dream.

“Ugh!”

Upon waking, I could see a total of 96 seconds of sword dance flashing past me like a mirage.

With a firm grip of my fist, I began to replay that vision in my head. At that instant, my hands began to tingle, acknowledging the insights I was obtaining.

Bang!

Something burst in my mind. Simultaneously, the Saint Sword plunged into my head like a great impact, striking my inner self. Before I knew it, I began to weave the Thunder Escape Sword Technique instead of the Thunder God Lineage techniques like stringing pearls.

[Do you desire lightning?]

Yeodong-bin’s voice echoed in my ears like an illusion. [Can such a fantastical lightning do anything against this sword?!]

With a bang, strangely enough, I felt no inclination to exhibit even a single moment from the 96 sequences of swordplay. They were undoubtedly powerful, but a compulsion to execute the techniques from the Thunder God Lineage took precedence. I felt time slow down as I instinctively combined the techniques.

The sword danced.

It sang.

“……!!”

Indescribably, my heart raced. I found a natural rhythm as I seamlessly swung my sword across my chest. Otherwise, I felt I couldn’t overcome the vision embedded in the 96 seconds of swordplay imparted by Yeodong-bin.

Is there a sword like that in the world?

It felt as if I were trading blows against the absolute swordplay with my Thunder God Lineage techniques.

Though logically speaking, that wasn’t possible; it felt like Yeodong-bin was providing me with guidance.

Clouds and mist melted, intertwining day and night. No matter what sword techniques I attempted, I couldn’t surpass them. My arm muscles felt as if they would burst, yet I poured every ounce of strength into enduring that unfathomable swordplay.

When the fierce swordplay concluded, I fell back onto the ground and gazed up at the star-filled sky while murmuring, “Let’s start from scratch.”

Then, after half a year of extreme training, I had solely focused on polishing my swordsmanship. Not a single moment from the 96 had been executed. No— I just couldn’t execute them.

I poured with sweat endlessly. Day after day, I recalled the mysteries of the techniques, honing every aspect of the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique, the Thunder Dragon Sword, and Thunder God Sword Dance to greater precision. Continuously researching and analyzing what I lacked. Amidst all this, the inner lightning was naturally growing stronger.

Lightning, calm down.

“You reside within me.”

I muttered as I tidily wrapped up the basics of the Thunder God Sword Dance. It felt as though I had practiced it thousands of times, yet each time it felt fresh. This was a continuous realization that how much I thought I knew was in fact next to nothing.

One day, I sought out Dokgo Seong and requested a sparring match.

Woosh!

“Whoa!!”

Dokgo Seong was startled and stepped back. He miscalculated my attack range for just a moment and nearly got cut in half, but he barely avoided it using the Thunder Shadow Step and exclaimed, “You’ve achieved it!”

“Yes.”

I nodded my head. Just as he remarked, my sword was pulsating with Qi imbued with Thunder Energy, what could be recognized as the Thunder Sword. This was something I had naturally grasped through training. Dokgo Seong appeared overcome with emotion and said, “Has your inner lightning matured?”

“No, that isn’t important.”

“What?”

He seemed astonished, but I firmly replied, “I just heard the voice of the sword.”

I had been mistaking it all along, thinking I simply produced lightning from the sword and fixating solely on the Thunder Energy in nature. However, upon receiving the 96 seconds of swordplay and comparing it to my Thunder God lineage techniques, I was engulfed by an indescribable sense of powerlessness.

The swordplay was unimaginably perfect.

It was possibly on par or even surpassing the magnificent Cave-Collapsing Sword of Jang Sam-bong!

Infinitely free, powerful, it wielded a sword that overshadowed the heavens and earth!

Only an Overlord might be able to swing it.

Feeling defeated by such completeness, I was even afraid I’d forget all about the Thunder God Lineage techniques. To truly understand if the Thunder God techniques were indeed lacking, I diligently reviewed everything I’d learned over a span of half a year to solidify the basics.

The result? It didn’t turn out the way I expected. The Thunder God techniques possessed more than enough potential to reach the level of that swordplay. However, I hadn’t solidified the foundations of all those techniques, thereby diminishing that potential. I had strayed from the path, unwilling to create lightning just through imagination.

Realizing my foolishness, I unwittingly felt the pulsing Thunder Sword become my own. There was no need to think of powerful lightning; I grasped the truth that my sword, and the will of the Thunder God Lineage, were one.

There’s no need to visualize lightning that could smash everything; just the swordplay itself could reach the divine realm! That conviction propelled the birth of the Thunder Sword within me.

“……”

“That’s how it is.”

“To shroud the Thunder Sword in the realization of sword rhythm… that’s an unimaginable concept. Learning from comparisons to illuminate one’s inadequacies in order to elevate a realm… But for that to happen, it must truly be on a celestial level…”

Dokgo Seong stared blankly at me, his mouth agape, before finally speaking. “Can you, perhaps, perform that 96 seconds?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I forgot. After receiving the memory on the first day, not a single second remained in my mind.”

I said bitterly. Yeodong-bin had likely done that on purpose.

Dokgo Seong sighed. “Ah! That means… as you say, it must be the Thunder Escape Sword Technique of Sword Saint Yeodong-bin.”

“Huh?”

“No doubt. I saw it in the records of the Thunder God Lineage.”

His lips and voice trembled.

“They say it was the invincible sword technique renowned as the strongest throughout the history of the Central Plains during the Tang Dynasty. Knowing my own techniques are being compared to such a level would naturally lead to this feeling of lack.”

“……!!”

“Hahaha! Yeodong-bin openly transmitted his realization of how to overcome to you, contrasting it with the Thunder God Lineage techniques. Though it’s arrogant, there’s no reason to feel frustrated. The Thunder Escape Sword Technique is simply inarguable…”

Seemingly at ease, Dokgo Seong laughed heartily.

Yet, I still had my doubts lingering within.

‘Then why?’

If what Dokgo Seong said was true, the Thunder Escape Sword Technique was the strongest form of swordplay from the Tang Dynasty. And it inspired me to elevate my own level, thanks to the incomplete Thunder Escape Sword Technique.

Moreover, Yeodong-bin had mastered that Thunder Escape Sword Technique rigorously. But why did the technique he passed down to me as a guardian turn into an incomplete form?

What was the meaningful difference between having a technique or not? Why did Yeodong-bin eliminate the fundamentals of the Thunder Escape Sword Technique during his advancement?

‘I think Lee Cheong-un said something similar?’

Don’t the masters of the Absolute Realm understand what the difference is?

While I was consumed with my thoughts, Dokgo Seong called me out of my reverie. “Quite a bit of time has passed since you started training. You should rest today and head back tomorrow.”

Of course, I wasn’t particularly tired, so I could return to Jangryeong Valley even right now.

However, I noticed that Dokgo Seong had something he wanted to impart to a junior from the Thunder God Lineage, so I nodded my head in agreement.

“Yes.”

 

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