Chapter 55
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I told Samjeol Lee Kwang that I had been another disciple of the Thunder God lineage and had been practicing it since I was very young. Normally, people might doubt the fact that I had reached this level in just a few years, but it seemed he believed I wasn’t quite at the level of a Half-Transition Master.
Of course, I honestly admitted that my internal power benefited from having consumed the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng. After hearing my story, Samjeol Lee Kwang took my pulse.
Then he let out a murmur. “The Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng is truly an astonishing spiritual pill. Your meridians are almost entirely open, and you’re just short of the Heavenly Spirit Pill.”
The Heavenly Spirit Pill? I tilted my head at the unfamiliar term, but he didn’t explain further. Instead, he said, “You and I are from the same sect. If you are willing to serve me as your master again, perform the Nine Prostrations Ritual here.”
“Yes.” I didn’t hesitate to perform the prostration. I had come here prepared to learn everything under him for decades. Once the nine bows were complete, Lee Kwang said, “Rise. From now on, I am your master, and I will teach you the Thunder Spirit Techniques.”
“Yes.”
“Baek Woong, you’ve probably heard from your master that the Thunder Spirit Techniques involve Multiple Lineage and are a formidable martial art. You have great potential, so practice sincerely to see the peak of the Thunder Spirit.”
“Understood.” I chose not to inquire about the history of the Thunder Spirit Techniques this time. I was wary of showing too much eagerness with unnecessary questions, fearing it might reveal discomfort. Instead, I noticed something odd. ‘In the past, Lee Kwang had asked about the power of my Hyun Cheon Divine Art. Why is he not mentioning it this time?’
Could he not have noticed? Or was he deliberately avoiding it?
I had learned the True Qi Manipulation Technique through my connection with Master Hyuncheon, which had mixed significantly with my internal power and taken on the strength of the divine arts. Since then, I had developed my Hyun Cheon Divine Art through consuming spiritual pills and continuous internal power training. Yet, Lee Kwang did not inquire about its origins.
But revealing my worries would only make me look foolish. Whatever Lee Kwang’s intentions were, if he meant to kill me, he wouldn’t go through this trouble. I steeled my heart and said, “I am here to learn the martial arts of the Thunder Spirit. I am determined to do so.”
“Determined, good words indeed.”
Lee Kwang smiled approvingly. “Starting today, you are my direct disciple. Treat Jin So-cheong as your older sister. Based on your skills, I will first grant you the position of a master, and for a time, you will learn one-on-one from me.”
“Yes.”
Then he muttered as if recalling something. “Speaking of which, So-cheong said she was going to meet a friend.”
Coincidentally, it seemed I had come on the same day as before. By now, Jin So-cheong must be escorting Namgung Hwan and his fiancée to Zhao Family Estate, having received a request from him. Soon, they would probably escape in secret with the help of Zhao Family Lord, but I knew it would end with them being chased down by dozens of first-class experts, resulting in an unavoidable battle at Hangu Pass.
I asked, “What should I do?”
After a moment of thought, Lee Kwang waved his hand. “No… it’s fine. They will come in on their own. You should go rest for now.”
“Yes.”
In the past, I had shown a proactive spirit saying I wanted to see my older sister directly. That’s why Lee Kwang had once entrusted me with bringing her back. Back then, my desire to meet Namgung Hwan was strong, which prompted me to take the lead.
This time, however, I had decided to hold back. At this point, Jin So-cheong’s skills were not at the level to handle a mob of first-class experts. Left alone, she could wipe them out like a wolf amidst sheep, as history had shown.
‘I want to conserve my time and energy.’
After all, I would have to train desperately in the future. I didn’t want to waste my energy wandering around. Besides, I understood Jin So-cheong’s skills well enough that I didn’t need to reassess her divine position.
“Bangil, show Master Baek to his lodging.”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
Following Bangil’s guidance, I headed to the separate room assigned to the master. Bangil often glanced at me with a look of disbelief, as if he couldn’t quite accept what was happening. Unlike before, he neither dared to grab my collar nor bully me.
It made sense; someone like Bangil, an elite disciple, would know that being chosen as a disciple by someone like Lee Kwang indicated that I had the corresponding skill. He must have realized that it wouldn’t end well for him if he picked a fight with me.
“Master, this is the separate room. Please rest comfortably.”
Bangil’s tone had turned respectful. During my earlier academy days, where I was merely an apprentice of Master Jin So-cheong, he might have thought he had a chance to compete with me. However, facing a direct disciple appointed by the Sect Leader, he had no choice but to show respect. For someone like Bangil, it was unavoidable.
I lay back on the comfortable bedding in the separate room, thinking. ‘No need for pretenses. Starting tomorrow, I’ll go all out.’
Originally, due to my stature as a child, I had considered pretending to be weaker. However, after years of training under Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong, I realized that any awkward deception would not work on them. It was much better to straightforwardly confront and strive with sincerity in my understanding and thoughts.
The next morning, Jin So-cheong returned. Upon meeting me, who had come as the new master, he smiled brightly.
“I have a new apprentice! I’m counting on you, Baek Woong.”
“Yes, older sister.” I smiled wryly. After years of sparring and learning with him, he already felt more like a true master than Lee Kwang. However, I masked my feelings slightly, as showing too much warmth wouldn’t be wise.
Then training began.
On the first day, Lee Kwang had decided to do a sparring match one-on-one with me. This wasn’t a wooden spear spar, but a wooden sword match. Facing each other from a distance, Lee Kwang took a posture that covered his entire upper body and said, “Come in.”
“Hah!”
I didn’t hold back. I already knew he was dozens of times stronger than his public reputation.
Crack!
Instantly, my cultivated Thunder Spirit techniques erupted, and my reflexes and speed surged. The wooden sword was enveloped in a blue Thunder Spirit Qi, and if it struck, it could blow away even a first-class expert of the Golden Eagle Guards’ upper body entirely. Then, my body surged forward with terrifying speed.
Swish, swish, swish!
I executed the Three Lotus Slash as I weaved through the air, moving smoothly as if gliding on glass. I felt I had improved from the second reception along with the effect of my new technique, the Thunder Shadow Step, and the speed caused the ground to temporarily combust like a comet’s tail.
Whoosh!
“……!!”
But I realized every attack was dodged by a hair’s breadth. Furthermore, Lee Kwang wasn’t merely avoiding my strikes; he used sword energy to attack my vital points. The level of being able to penetrate and access my vitals without me even seeing the sword energy was unfathomable for my current self.
Wait, is this the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique?
I keenly felt he had already waded into a realm far beyond regular sword techniques.
Thud!
Despite all the combat experience I’d accumulated over my past life, I collapsed within five seconds. As I struggled to resolve my blocked acupoints, Lee Kwang spoke.
“Baek Woong.”
“Yes?”
“Your internal power and techniques will work well against ordinary martial artists. However, there’s no intent behind it, so even the best internal power will find it challenging to hit a true expert.”
“……”
This wasn’t the first time I’d heard this. Before Lee Kwang took me under his wing, I’d been told this hundreds of times before. I had reached the same starting line I’d begun with just a day after starting training. This meant at this moment, Lee Kwang had clearly evaluated my skills objectively.
‘Yes, and before, I just couldn’t grasp the meaning of that advice, so I wasted a lot of time…’
I wasn’t idle; I had struggled with the meaning of intent and thought persistently. I continued to swing my sword but ended up understanding nothing. So, during the remaining two years, I had desperately sought guidance from Jin So-cheong, but that too yielded little success. Thus, I became embroiled in the affairs of the Golden Eagle Guards and was sent to Luoyang.
Gritting my teeth, I said, “I don’t understand.”
“What don’t you get?”
“Actually, before I came to you, I faced a formidable master in duel. I raised all my internal power, boosting my speed and strength temporarily; yet even then, all my attacks were read and easily countered, just like now. I might possess the world’s best internal power, but why is there such a difference?”
I referred to my fight against the Lord of the Golden Eagle Guards. No matter how strong he was, being the palace’s number one expert and a peak expert, I felt completely toyed with back then. He had even folded his arms and made a fool out of me, causing my sword to break against his fingertips!
“Hmm…”
Lee Kwang appeared slightly surprised. After assessing the sincerity in my words, he pondered seriously before replying.
“It’s fortunate that you survived against such a master. Let’s take a moment to reflect on that duel.”
“Yes.”
“Describe the flow of battle and what you remember.”
I recalled the motions of my techniques from the duel and how the lord dodged with incredible speed. After some time, I haphazardly explained my remembrances. It felt clumsy and embarrassing, but to my relief, Lee Kwang seemed to comprehend.
After a moment of thought, Lee Kwang said, “That master is undeniably formidable. The technique he used is known as Lee Hyeong-hwan’s Clone Technique, an unparalleled skill not commonly known.”
“Lee Hyeong-hwan?”
“It’s a technique little known in the world, but it’s like this.”
Swish!
“……!!”
I widened my eyes.
To my shock, Lee Kwang’s form split into two in an instant! I could clearly see two distinct forms of Lee Kwang before my eyes—this could only be described as Clone Technique!
In that state, Lee Kwang sent me a secret transmission. [How about it? Can you tell which one is the real one?]
I concentrated to sense the energy. But I could detect nothing; I shook my head.
“… I can’t tell.”
Swish!
Lee Kwang returned to a single figure, casually resting on a chair. “This isn’t a whimsical Clone Technique. It’s a skill that leaves residual traces of energy to deceive the opponent, and those who rely solely on speed are the most susceptible to its gaps. It’s because the density of this technique is generally uniform that the actual body cannot be discerned through ordinary eyesight.”
“W-wait, can I also use Lee Hyeong-hwan’s technique?”
“Of course you can. There are scarcely any martial arts techniques in this world that you cannot utilize with your internal power. But there’s a problem.”
“A problem?”
He suddenly multiplied into four, eight, and sixteen forms, filling the training ground. Shockingly, each one was frozen mid-stance and position, making it utterly impossible for me to find the real Lee Kwang among the phantoms. Suddenly, I felt his index finger pressing down on my back without warning.
“Hah…”
A jolt of fear raced through my spine. If he had a small dagger in his hand, I would have undoubtedly met my end in that moment.
You had no idea, right? That’s because you were trying to see the energy with your eyes. With such clumsiness in your mastery of Qi, you’ll never grasp Lee Hyeong-hwan’s skill.”
“Isn’t it normal to rely on one’s eyes? If I concentrate my internal power on my sight, I should be able to see the opponent’s energy.”
“You’re missing the point that Lee Hyeong-hwan was built around exploiting that very blind spot. Energy isn’t something that exists physically; thus, an expert can manipulate it to create illusions. In battles among peak experts, understanding these nuances of reality is essential.”
“……!!”
So, if this is true, does it mean I will always be left powerless against peak experts? As I pondered this, Lee Kwang continued to explain.
“From what I can see, your foundation in the Thunder Spirit is very solid. It means your previous master provided excellent teachings. From now on, I’ll focus on teaching you application skills and advanced combat techniques.”
“Yes!”
I felt overwhelmingly moved at the thought of receiving what I had dreamed of. I remembered how, in the past, Lee Kwang had been passionate in his teachings for a few days, but when I failed to understand, he had gradually lost interest and given up. This time, it felt like he seemed to truly capture my level of understanding and provide detailed advice.
“To start… here’s your first training.”
Just hearing this made me nervous. “Your talent seems like the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique, so I want you to perform the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique one hundred thousand times.”
“One hundred thousand times?”
“Yes, right in front of me.”
What could the connection between advanced combat techniques and this absurd repetition of a basic technique be? I was brimming with curiosity, yet I suppressed my urge to voice it. In the past, I would ask him without a second thought, but that had only earned me distasteful looks from him. He must have viewed my lack of critical thinking as insincere.
In other words, to receive proper teachings from Lee Kwang, I needed the mental resolve to grapple my thoughts even to the point of grinding them down. I answered with determination, “I will!”
From that day on, I started to repeat the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique relentlessly. I had practiced its basics alone before, but never had I trained so desperately for my life. Lee Kwang watched with arms crossed, striking me with a wooden sword whenever I faltered.
Thwack!
“Focus! Did I say to do it haphazardly? Execute the Thunder Shadow Technique precisely as you were taught!”
Thwack!
“And I didn’t say to dawdle about either. Concentrate with all your mental power, swiftly and accurately!”
“Urgh…!!”
By the end of that day, I had repeated the technique around four thousand five hundred times. I was certain my entire body would be covered in bruises. Had I not unconsciously defended myself with my internal power, I’d probably have died dozens of times over. The fact that Lee Kwang had made those allowances was both reassuring and concerning.
At the end of the training, I had anticipated heading into my room, but as it struck midnight, Lee Kwang brought in someone else.
“Jin So-cheong. Oversee him and ensure he doesn’t rest until he has performed the technique one hundred thousand times.”
“Understood, Master.”
“Watch him for six time periods and then rotate with the other two masters.”
“Yes.”
With that, Jin So-cheong took a seat, while Lee Kwang retired for sleep.
‘No rest?’
At that moment, the realization struck me.
“……!!”
The one hundred thousand times Lee Kwang mentioned did not mean I could eat and sleep in between; it literally meant [no resting at all] while performing the technique one hundred thousand times.
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