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In the Demon Subduing Hall, life number nine began.

“Huff… Hah…”

I lay there, drenched in sweat, trying to suppress the agony coursing through my body. The excruciating pain and despair from being impaled and awaiting death were burned deep into my mind. Until the phantom pain passed, breathing felt like a luxury. The sheer absurdity of dying in such a ridiculous place drained my mental strength.

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, I managed to catch my breath lying in the barn. Sweat dripped off me like a waterfall. I propped myself up and muttered, “… What a hassle.”

Getting ambushed by the Eight Demons of the Demon Path was understandable; they probably saw me wandering off alone, all vulnerable and isolated from the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. Had I been quick about my business, I’d have only had to deal with the Black Night Gate, and I wouldn’t have found myself in this predicament, but instead, I casually drew Mangnyang’s attention, giving the Black Dao Sect a chance to swarm me.

The real kicker? I died at such a vague moment. Now, I had to go back to square one at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, and that thought made my head throb.

How the heck am I supposed to get in?

It’s not like I just learned the basics of the Thunder God Lineage. I might have also acquired some techniques, like the Above-the-Average Lee Kwang’s variant of the Thunder God Lineage moves, as well as the Heaven Blade and Thunder Blade! I had learned the Secret Movement Technique and the application of the Thunder Cloud Fist too.

I couldn’t hide my achievements—I’d have to persuade Lee Kwang all over again from the very beginning.

If he gets suspicious of me, I’m as good as dead. He possesses extraordinary martial skills; regardless of my internal power, escaping him wouldn’t even be guaranteed!

‘If I’d learned the application of the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique and died, at least that would’ve been better!’

Especially since I regretted not having fully mastered those techniques. Lee Kwang had always told me there were still four or five things he planned to teach me, making me keenly aware of how incomplete my abilities were as the successor to the Thunder God lineage. If I had truly mastered the Heaven Blade, I wouldn’t have died.

With that thought, I let out a defeated sigh.

“… Hah~ I guess it can’t be helped. For now, let’s gather everything I can and then move.”

Time wouldn’t wait for me, even while I contemplated. Surprisingly, I realized that I had gathered a lot of information in my eighth life, so if I moved quickly, I could still buy myself some time.

Thud!

I dashed out of the barn and snatched the Heavenly Secret without a second thought. After acquiring the Thunder God Lineage, even gadgets like arrow traps felt trivial. My martial arts had developed tremendously compared to the early days.

After securing the Heavenly Secret, I took off toward Mount Huang. This time, however, there was no need to rush excessively. I didn’t have to risk myself by running myself to the bone, so I took my time.

Since the ‘Tragedy of Taekyung Village’ was sealed for the time being, I didn’t need to act rashly until the Golden Eagle Guards attempted another disaster.

Meanwhile, as I headed toward Mount Huang, I could feel my agility improving dramatically. Unlike before, my movements consumed much less energy, allowing me to glide effortlessly for a long time.

Because of this newfound ease, I arrived at Mount Huang only three or four days later—barely a whiff of sweat on me. I was remarkably relaxed.

“Finally, I’m here!”

I decided to gather my supplies at the village below Mount Huang. Of course, I prepared a pot to brew the Black and White Lotus, and just for the fun of it, I swung by the blacksmith and bought a quality sword. Thanks to beating up some bandits along the way, I had more than enough money.

After that, I headed straight into the secret realm of Mount Huang to finally consume the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.

Woooh—!!

“… Something feels off.”

I let out a small, dissatisfied murmur as my immense internal power surged like the current. It felt like less of an increase than last time. Of course, I sensed a massive power flooding my body, but it felt somewhat underwhelming since my capacity had expanded so much. Still, it was better than not consuming anything, so I settled with it.

Then I dove straight into the pond.

Splash!

As expected, the Seven Luminaries’ ruins were hidden beneath the water. I pulled out the pearl and entered the ruins. Reaching the altar inside the ruins, I retrieved a hidden gold bar wrapped in wooden armor, placing it outside the pond. It was a bit annoying to go back and forth, but at least it was better than last time when I couldn’t secure any gold bars at all.

I knew that beyond the altar, there was a gigantic guardian spider, and that it guarded the legendary divine sword, the Water Element Divine Sword, Makya. I stared intently at that direction before pouring my blood into the altar, knowing I needed a plan to deal with the guardian spider before getting my hands on the Makya.

‘Hmm… Using the gold bar and torches like last time doesn’t feel promising.’

Getting the gold bar in just the right spot to hit the guardian spider’s eye would be near impossible at my current skill level. I pondered for a significant time but ultimately gripped the long sword I brought with me tightly.

“It can’t be helped. It’s time to test my strength.”

I decided to trust the martial training I underwent in my eighth life. If that time wasn’t wasted, I might just survive this encounter with the guardian spider. Steeling myself, I poured my blood onto the altar.

Crreeeak…

The stone wall opened up. I fixed my gaze on the narrow bridge beyond and braced my body.

I needed to give it my all.

It was a one-shot deal.

If I failed, I’d be toast.

“Thunder Shadow Step, Secret Technique, Heaven Pillar Kill.”

Riding the blood of the heavens, the thunder energy electrified my entire body. In that brief moment, my reflexes and movements accelerated sharply. My body, thrumming with energy, held its breath, coiling like a cat preparing to pounce.

“Maximum Expansion!”

Boom!

My body exploded forward like lightning. I had only taken two steps, yet I had flown over more than 20 spaces. While my speed surged dramatically, each step consumed a staggering amount of internal power. By the time I took the third step, I was nearly across the narrow bridge, the wind whipping past my ears.

Crack!

I skidded to a stop, my body drawing a fiery mark on the ground. As I steadied myself, the Water Element Divine Sword, Makya, came into view. With the sword gripped tightly, I braced myself to unleash the Thunder Shadow Step, Heaven Pillar Kill again.

Woosh—

I shot through the air, bouncing as if propelled by an unseen force. At that moment, the gigantic guardian spider sprang up from the abyss, its colossal presence emerging from the depths. Seeing the monster rise before me nearly made me close my eyes in terror, but I steeled my resolve and swung the sword in my hand.

The Thunder Blade unfolded, striking one of the spider’s legs. A loud clang echoed like metal being struck.

Clang!

“Ugh…”

I was taken aback. Even Zhang Nan’s elders would go pale and die receiving my Thunder Blade strike head-on. Yet here I was, feeling a tingling sensation in my arm, despite pouring overwhelming power into a single strike. Though bright red blood sprayed from the spider’s leg, it felt like just a scratch considering its monstrous size.

Chills ran down my spine.

‘This thing is a real monster…!!’

For a brief moment, I realized how futile it was to think I could fight it head-on. Unless I could gather enough time to unleash the Thunder Blade’s maximum power, this spider’s reflexes were faster than even the peak experts. Even in my current state, a direct confrontation would likely end in my demise in under 100 seconds.

But, being sneaky can pay off! Seizing the opportunity when the spider staggered, I propelled myself through the air and successfully reached the exit. Without a backward glance, I dashed to escape the ruins.

Tap tap tap!

Behind me, a massive web shot through the air, but I managed to handle it decently. My internal power had surged, and my sword skills had sharpened. I rushed up the stairs, worried the gigantic spider would catch up, and popped out beyond the pond to collapse down.

“Whew… I survived.”

It was another close call, but this time, unlike before, I wasn’t relying on luck; I truly earned Makya through my own strength. Sure, luck played a role, but it felt more like proper skill this time. Not to mention, thanks to my prior efforts securing that gold bar wrapped in wood, I had a nice sum of extra goodies.

I lay back for a moment to recover my strength while pondering, what now?

Having secured everything worth taking, I had to decide my next course of action. It didn’t take long before my gaze wandered to the pond, and a bright idea struck me.

“Right! Let’s gather the roots of the Black and White Lotus!”

Why hadn’t I thought of that until now?

Though the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng is not well-known, the roots of the Black and White Lotus also possess extreme Yang power, making them precious spiritual pills. In terms of potency, they rival that of the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng. The difficulty lies in enduring the extreme Yang energies while consuming it, but if one prepares in advance, it’s manageable.

After carefully digging up about three roots of the Black and White Lotus, I stowed them in my pack. Until now, I hadn’t considered sharing any spiritual pills, but this time was different. As I stored the root, I thought, ‘I need companions.’

That realization hit me hard after this brush with death. I had been blindsided by the Eight Demons of the Demon Path without information or any way to prepare, and not a single person to fight alongside me. Remembering how much I survived with Mangnyang as my companion made it clear that relying solely on my strength had its limits.

These lotus roots could prove invaluable for building those necessary alliances. With the pack on my back, I began making my way out of Mount Huang.

“Let’s go!”

Once outside Mount Huang, I couldn’t afford to delay. The energy from the Water Element was surging, and massive storm clouds would soon devastate this area. I had to make my move before a natural disaster struck.

I dashed off without a wink of sleep, picking up speed, racing like a nimble horse. I’d never run this fast before and now I was leaping over mountains in no time. Sure, the indoor training probably didn’t do me any favors, but still, there couldn’t be many people out there with greater agility than mine.

Whiz!

I ran and ran, until I reached Taekyung Village. Just seven weeks after retrieving Makya, I arrived at Taekyung Village.

“Huff, huff… I’m gonna die.”

Collapsing in front of the stele at Taekyung Village, I couldn’t believe my speed.

“Wow… I really got faster!”

While my internal power hadn’t changed much, my skills as the successor to the Thunder God lineage had improved a lot. I had quickly picked up special techniques and began to apply them, letting me move several times faster in martial arts.

At this rate, I realized that if I rushed diligently for half a day from Taekyung Village, I’d make leisurely progress into Jinrang Valley. I hurried behind the village to the barn to take care of business.

Creek!

Entering the secret passage through the well, I stealthily crept into the Hua Clan. Confirming that no one was around in the kitchen, I slipped into the room of Hua Jong-taek, the head of the Hua Clan. It was easy under the darkness of night since the mansion was almost deserted.

I found Hua Jong-taek wrapped up with another woman, presumably enjoying each other’s company just before drifting off to sleep. So, probably before I arrived, they had occupied themselves and dozed off. I was careful not to wake them, instead, I inspected Hua Jong-taek’s room, carefully tracing the hidden surfaces for any treasures.

‘Got it.’

I found the Silver Phoenix Fragment tucked away in the depths of his study. Initially, it was in the kitchen when I first snuck in, but it made sense that it was hidden here. It didn’t seem like it was meant to be kept secret, likely displayed for bragging rights. Security didn’t seem tight, a classic case of Hua Jong-taek not worrying much about minor thieves.

“Sorry bud, but I’ll be taking this. The secret of this Balhae fragment needs to be revealed.”

It felt pointless for someone like Hua Jong-taek, who didn’t understand its value, to hold onto it. Having received this item in my previous life, I casually pocketed the Silver Phoenix Fragment and stealthily exited through the secret passage, leaving no trace behind.

Thud thud thud!

I raced off, showing no signs of stopping, sprinting energetically toward Jinrang Valley. I swore to myself; this was the fastest I had ever arrived here. At night, I reached Jinrang Valley and dashed through the Mangyun formation, bursting into Mangnyang’s dwelling to wake him up.

“Mangnyang! Wake up!”

“Hwaah!! Someone save me!!”

Mangnyang yelped like a startled chicken, clearly bewildered after being bombarded out of his dreams. Ignoring his initial panic, I rushed to the point.

Thud!

I plopped the Water Element Divine Sword, Makya, before him and infused it with my internal power, making the oracle bone script float. Despite his dazed state, Mangnyang’s curiosity piqued. However, upon hearing the further context of my point, his face turned ghostly white.

“That’s the divine weapon symbolizing Water Element among the Seven Luminaries, Makya!”

“……?!?!”

“I pulled it out from the sealed area; it’s likely we’re going to see a flood disaster.”

I demanded, “If there’s a way to prevent this disaster, tell me now!”

“Uh, uh, I don’t know who you are, but it sounds like the shifting of essence in the Makya has caused a disruption in the heavens.”

“So there are countermeasures?” I could barely contain my excitement.

“Unfortunately, my skills in sorcery are lacking.” Mangnyang seemed to be gathering his thoughts. “However, perhaps a priest could help…”

“Then let’s go! It only takes about half a day to reach Luoyang!”

“Wait! How do you know where my priest is?”

Mangnyang hurriedly dressed, while I smirked at him.

“Let’s just say, I’ve had quite the experience with that guy!”

“…?”

Mangnyang’s priest, Cheon Woo-jin. If anyone could prevent the Makya disaster, it would be him.

 

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