---

“Time to hit the reset button on your skills!”

The very next day, I dove back into one-on-one training with Samjeol Lee Kwang, focusing on advanced applications of the Thunder God lineage and its combat techniques. Sure, I had learned a thing or two about it already, but according to Lee Kwang, stepping up the game meant I could uncover the hidden secrets of this martial art and learn fresh combat tactics too. It made me feel a little misty-eyed, thinking I’d finally found my groove.

“Show me the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique once more!”

“Yes, sir!”

Standing in the training ground that morning, I assumed the Intermediate Stage stance upon hearing Lee Kwang’s command. After all, I had done this a whopping hundred thousand times before, so it was as easy as breathing. Once the basic technique was executed, he commented with satisfaction.

“You’ve lost the unnecessary bits! Don’t you think you’ve picked up the pace a bit?”

“Uh…”

Now that I thought about it, the usual hitches in my breathing when connecting techniques were completely absent. I didn’t even consciously try, yet my swordplay seemed quicker. Lost in my surprise, Lee Kwang continued,

“At last, you’ve mastered the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique. That also means it’s time to learn its advanced applications!”

“……!!”

“Your swordplay was just a patchwork of techniques, lacking finesse in your internal power and breath control. Sure, your internal power is through the roof, but to a stronger expert, the flaws would be glaring. However, by slipping into a state of forgetfulness, you instinctively eliminated all the unnecessary movements and lapses, and managed to imprint these corrections into your body. That’s why you can now move to the next stage!”

I finally got what Lee Kwang was saying. Cutting out the nonsense and addressing the gaps! After being drilled for a hundred thousand times to correct my posture and whip my sword out accurately, I had eliminated distracting thoughts and honed my focus, thereby boosting my swordsmanship.

As I looked at my hand, I noticed bruises embedded like battle trophies. Naturally, swinging the sword hard enough to cause a burn would do that. Lee Kwang then added,

“But I do have a question for you.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“As a disciple of the Thunder God style, you must know how much stronger the spear is compared to the sword. Why cling to swordsmanship so desperately? You’d have been better off specializing in the spear.”

Lee Kwang wasn’t just expressing a casual regret; he genuinely believed that spear fighting was superior to sword skills. Given his level of skill, I couldn’t argue with him. After pondering over his words, I replied,

“I want to attain the ultimate self-defense mastery.”

“Self-defense, you say! Fascinating…”

My response cleverly interpreted Lee Kwang’s earlier teachings about weapons. He believed the spear reached the pinnacle of combat, while the sword achieved the peak of self-defense. I was just flipping that logic back to him. Lee Kwang smiled faintly.

“Good. It’s nice to have a martial artist like you around. It could be beneficial to have someone walk a different path from Jin So-cheong.”

Then, raising a wooden sword, he continued,

“Traditionally, our Thunder God lineage served as protectors of the White Lotus Sect’s religious ceremonies, sometimes even taking the lead in those rituals. During the proceedings, the power of Thunder Qi would make the sword dance like a beam of light, which eventually became the ultimate technique of the Thunder God lineage.”

“That’s the first I’ve heard of this.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be common knowledge. This is a secret passed only to those who have mastered the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique to a certain level.”

It made perfect sense that I was only now hearing about the history of the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique. My level of skill had been so utterly pathetic in Samjeol Lee Kwang’s eyes that he never thought of passing down the full treasure trove of knowledge.

‘In other words, I’ve only just earned some recognition from Lee Kwang regarding swordplay.’

The wooden sword in Lee Kwang’s hand began to move steadily.

Crack!

Before I knew it, his wooden sword was radiating a blue Thunder Spirit energy, which happened when I summoned the Thunder Qi while executing swordplay. Lee Kwang was staring intently at the Thunder Qi in his wooden sword when suddenly, he called out,

“Combine!”

Bang!

“Whoa..!!”

Now that was impressive! The previously swirling energy of thunder coalesced into an azure blade, looking just like a sword made of thunder. It was razor-sharp, and honestly, kind of beautiful. After showcasing that technique, Lee Kwang explained,

“This is the ultimate achievement of the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique—Heavenly Gathering Kill. The method you used to imbue your sword with Thunder Spirits was energy耗 and too slow. You need to master the Heavenly Gathering Kill to compete on equal footing with peak swordsmen.”

“I… see.”

“First, activate the Thunder Spirit, gather the dispersed Thunder Qi, and effortlessly overlay it from the sword’s edge, imagining its shape. That way, you’ll create a refined Heavenly Gathering Kill without wasting any energy.”

Swish!

As Lee Kwang effortlessly swung his Heavenly Gathering Kill, it ricocheted off the wooden sword and struck the wall five meters away, leaving quite the mark. Launching sword energy at long range like that was definitely a high-level technique.

“Once you can naturally employ the Heavenly Gathering Kill, even those who wield long-range weapons won’t faze you. There’s another fascinating tip to learn after you master the Heavenly Gathering Kill.”

“Yes!”

That day, I practiced summoning and forming the Heavenly Gathering Kill for what felt like ages. To my surprise, within about three half-moments, I could create something resembling the Heavenly Gathering Kill—that felt pretty speedy to me. Gathering the energy of thunder at the blade’s tip was downright fun!

“You’ve already reached an amateur level with the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique. If you practice diligently, you’ll have the Heavenly Gathering Kill down in under a month.”

I raised my hand.

“I have a question.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“So, I understand that the Heavenly Gathering Kill creates stable sword energy infused with the power of the five Thunder energies. What about the differences in realms like Sword Flame or Sword Strength? Can they also be achieved with the Heavenly Gathering Kill?”

Lee Kwang settled into a chair before replying.

“What do you think the Sword Flame and Sword Strength actually are?”

“Sword Flame is the swirling phase before reaching Sword Strength, while Sword Strength is the pinnacle level a swordsman can achieve, as far as I know.”

That wasn’t just my opinion—those were the theories I had heard from Master Hyuncheon. After hearing these things from a peak master of the Wudang Sect, I wanted to get a clearer grasp on it. Lee Kwang chuckled a little at my words.

“That’s quite a shaky definition. It’s the common perspective, to be fair.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Let’s rephrase the question. Sword Qi has the power to sharpen and reinforce weapons like famous swords. But why do peak experts bother with creating Sword Flames when it drains their energy? It doesn’t directly increase their physical power.”

“……”

I had never considered that. I’d seen Master Hyuncheon and the Ghost Shadow Swordsman summon Sword Flames, but honestly, I was just clinging on with my internal power, so I couldn’t gauge the actual difference between Sword Qi and Sword Flames. As I hesitated to respond, Lee Kwang continued.

“Listen closely. Sword Flames are a technique designed to counter an opponent’s Sword Qi.”

“A technique…!!”

“Surprisingly, there are quite a few practitioners in this world using Sword Qi. Not just peak experts, either—lots of first-class experts strain to gather energy and form their own Sword Qi. This has led to developments in combat techniques utilizing Sword Qi. So you can view Sword Flames as a combat method designed to easily overpower those weaker than you who wield Sword Qi.”

After explaining, Lee Kwang continued.

“It goes without saying that there’s a world of difference between that and true Sword Strength as it stands. What you defined is what people say who don’t grasp what Sword Strength even is.”

“……”

Internally, I was taken aback. That had been Master Hyuncheon’s discourse and theory, and here was Lee Kwang casually dismissing it. If Master Hyuncheon were here, he’d probably be fuming mad! But I kept my mouth shut and pressed on with more questions.

“So what exactly is true Sword Strength? What kind of power does it yield?”

“Only a handful of experts have truly attained the realm of authentic Sword Strength. Most of them tend to keep their abilities hidden, so you rarely see their true form. Those who reach that level generally avoid the noise of worldly affairs and focus on their own training.”

“I see.”

“There’s no need for you to worry about this for now. First, you must master the Heavenly Gathering Kill before stepping into the world of secret techniques. That’s how you’ll be ready to tackle this discussion further.”

I didn’t have time for more questions; following Lee Kwang’s guidance, I plunged headfirst into training. From that day on, I began waking up at the crack of dawn, dedicating most of my twelve segments of the day solely to crafting the Heavenly Gathering Kill. Thanks to my absolutely monstrous internal power, I could output Thunder Qi as if it were second nature. But honing that into a blade shape was a whole different beast.

A battle of focus and perseverance!

After wrestling with it for about six weeks, I finally reached a point where I could conjure up the Heavenly Gathering Kill properly. It took way longer than Lee Kwang had estimated, no doubt due to my lack of talent.

Buzz –

“Whoa…”

The Heavenly Gathering Kill glimmered radiantly above my wooden sword. Lee Kwang, who was watching from the side, bluntly remarked,

“Too bright. It means you haven’t mastered your Thunder Qi properly.”

“Got it.”

“Make it glow just enough to barely be seen. The more subtle it is, the stronger the Heavenly Gathering Kill becomes.”

I wiped the sweat from my forehead. After all my struggles, I was finally able to produce a real Sword Qi. Had I attempted to master this on my own, I’d probably need at least a decade! There was no quicker route than learning from a superb master in a martial arts school!

“Now, wrap the Heavenly Gathering Kill around your sword, keeping the energy flowing while you move. Practice directing that energy according to your will and releasing it externally. Once you nail that, your Thunder Shadow Sword Technique will reach a whole new level.”

“Understood!”

To achieve the additional applications Lee Kwang explained, I would need to invest several months more. Throughout this time, Lee Kwang never once commented on whether I was progressing quickly or slowly. In fact, I had asked him if I was lagging behind a few times, and each time he calmly responded.

“You’re doing great.”

When he said I was doing well, I had no choice but to believe it. I poured over my training for the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique with a ferocity, and it all culminated about half a year later.

Boom!

The Heavenly Gathering Kill burst from my wooden sword, leaving a massive gash in the wall. I had finally unlocked the ability to strike from a distance using the Heavenly Gathering Kill. Gasping for breath from the exhausting concentration, Lee Kwang announced,

“Now, just refine the Thunder Shadow Step, and you’ll wipe out nearly all your downsides, Baek Woong.”

“Thunder… Thunder Shadow Step?”

“One Eye, Two Feet, Three Courage, Four Strength.”

Reciting a proverb of martial artists, Lee Kwang suddenly switched to a new sword form. It felt like a second translucent shadow had appeared, clear as day.

“Now that you’ve learned to harness your strength when executing sword techniques, it’s time to learn some footwork!”

The footwork he executed was an unprecedented level of skill.

‘Lee Hyeong-hwan?’

But I realized this was different from Lee Hyeong-hwan. There was a significant difference in the density of movement, and it was as if the motions were chained together, flowing seamlessly like a fish swimming gracefully without any wasted effort.

Flitter!

Shadows danced like petals carried in the wind.

Lee Kwang took a total of seven steps. But within those seven steps lay incredible footwork. After the last move, he declared,

“The Thunder Shadow Step technique—Heavenly Pillar Kill! Once you master this, I’ll grant you the status of a successor to the Thunder God lineage.”

“… Really?!”

I burst out in joy.

Successor status!

Currently, Lee Kwang halfway acknowledged me as a successor, sharing various secret techniques and applications, but being formally recognized was a whole different ballgame. The moment I earned that qualification, I could truly stand shoulder to shoulder with Jin So-cheong and receive Lee Kwang’s martial teachings. In other words, this test was pretty much Lee Kwang’s final challenge he was throwing at me.

Lee Kwang nodded and said,

“You have three years. Master the Heavenly Pillar Kill within that time.”

“Three years?”

“Yes.”

Considering it had taken me nearly a year to get the hang of the Heavenly Gathering Kill, three years sounded like a lot. I could guess that mastering the Heavenly Pillar Kill wouldn’t be easy. Plus, since Lee Kwang said three years, the reality was likely closer to needing ten years to learn it!

He continued,

“Additionally, I’ll give you another task. While mastering the Heavenly Pillar Kill, you’ll also be doing some challenge matches with Jin So-cheong.”

“Challenge matches, you say—so you mean against other sects?”

“Exactly.”

“That’s…!”

I was taken aback.

Challenge matches!

‘Damn it. This could be life-threatening.’

It sounded like a piece of cake, but I knew how risky it was. When I charge blindly into the Twin Gate Sect in Luoyang before, I managed to take down the clan leader, but then the Elder appeared and took my head off under the excuse of a sparring match.

In the martial arts world, honor was valued above life itself, and it wasn’t uncommon for prestigious clans to join forces against a challenger, effectively ending their life. Challenge matches are something you had to mentally prepare yourself to face death like it was a casual stroll!

Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself and declared confidently,

“Alright, I’m game!”

“Good. Give it your best shot.”

The remaining time was spent learning the Thunder Shadow Step from Lee Kwang. Once again, he pointed out that my footwork was cluttered and taught me how to move quickly and correctly with proper posture.

At that time, I figured my training life would remain peaceful and uneventful. After all, all I had to do was learn what he taught and, along with it, take on some challenge matches.

But the next morning, as I woke up and headed to the training ground, the figure of my master, Samjeol Lee Kwang, wasn’t there. Instead, an unexpected person awaited me. He was already packed and waved at me.

“So, the priest has arrived!”

“Jin So-cheong? What brings you here?”

Jin So-cheong laughed heartily.

“Well, we need to get cracking on those challenge matches! We must reach Zhenguo before dawn, so let’s hurry up and head out!”

“Huh… This is so sudden.”

I grumbled while gathering weapons from the training ground. I barely felt hunger anyway, so I didn’t need to pack much else. I strapped on a decent sword at my waist, only to suddenly realize something strange.

“Wait a sec, So-cheong. You said Zhenguo? That place…”

“Yeah, that’s right, disciple.”

Upon hearing the next words from So-cheong, my expression twisted.

“It’s the village at the entrance of Zhongnan Mountain!”

 

---