After completing the practitioner registration, I was able to receive the ‘Human Practitioner Nameplate’ with the character ‘人’ written on it.
The Human Practitioner Nameplate was a rectangular red wooden piece, about the size of a man’s hand, and aside from its self-restoration, it didn’t seem to have any special spiritual power.
As a side note, false records regarding age were originally forbidden, but thanks to Hayoung’s clever “conversation,” we managed to get through it without much trouble.
“Now, I’ll take you to the Human Territory. It’s not too far from here.”
“Are there many humans there?”
“Well… it’s similar in number to other races. Not too many, not too few. The important thing is the power in the Human Territory.”
Tu-woong!
Hayoung spread her flying device and hopped on.
When I also got on the device, the brush-shaped flying contraption began to smoothly lift off.
“The Human Race is largely divided into three powers: ‘Red Thunder God’s Gate’ which operates around Lord Jeokmu-hyang. The ‘Black Grief Valley’ entangled with the neighboring Lord Heukmuhyang. Lastly, there’s the largest, ‘Uncheong Blue Gate,’ which is the right hand of Lord Cheongmu-hyang. There are plenty of miscellaneous others, but they’re not worth worrying about.”
“Hmm…? So the Human Territory is intertwined with various factions?”
“That’s right. In the end, the ‘village’ is just a part of the Jangmugye.”
[ㅇㅎ]
[Lily, let’s set one up too]
[Let’s eat at Red Thunder God’s Gate ㄱㄱㄱㄱ]
[Do we need to decide where to go?]
[Let’s go for the door leader’s position ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Let’s break some seals ㄱㄱㄱㄱ]
[How many are we counting?]
“So where will I be going?”
“About 90% of those who ascend from the Lord Jeokmu-hyang will head to the Red Thunder God’s Gate. Others from Black Grief Valley or Uncheong Blue Gate will also go where their powers have taken root. Or do you wish to go elsewhere?”
“No, not at all.”
I didn’t know what the Red Thunder God’s Gate was like, but I didn’t really care where I was going.
Above all, just hearing the name ‘Red Thunder God’s Gate’ connected it to storm (雷) attributes. In other words, it was related to lightning.
Since I had the Dragon Heart of the Thunder Dragon and the spiritual root related to the lightning attribute, there probably wasn’t any downside to it.
As Hayoung headed toward the turbulent area between the Lord Jeokmu-hyang and the Human Territory, she murmured.
“Above all, the current vibe of the Human Race is hmmm…”
“The vibe?”
“Never mind. I’m not a Human, so I don’t know the details. Just don’t trust the practitioners too much. To begin with, there’s no rule that an ascended practitioner has to join a Human sect.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
I had received help here and there, but I had heard that in the world of immortal alliances, backstabbing was just part of the daily routine.
“Getting hit in the back of the head is quite a common occurrence, after all.”
“At this point, it wouldn’t be strange to get hit even more, right?”
“We’ve arrived.”
Thus, I stepped into the Red Thunder God’s Gate.
■
Hayoung, who was of the Deer tribe, dropped me off at the Red Thunder God’s territory and immediately left this place. Apparently, unless you’re a human or part of a specific group, you can’t stay long in human territories.
It seems a bit excessive, but as Hayoung mentioned, it’s probably because the atmosphere among humans isn’t great.
“It’s kind of quiet, isn’t it?”
[For real]
[It’s creepy]
[When’s the Heavenly Horse coming up?]
[What’s missing?]
The territory of the Red Thunder God’s Gate was quite calm.
It was a place filled with vast plains, forests, and mountains, and although red lightning occasionally soared, it wasn’t loud enough to be a nuisance.
As I wandered through the forest, I suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.
Endless plains. Endless forests. Endless mountains.
“It’s an illusion.”
Kwahziiick…!
Taking out the Dragon Heart, a powerful lightning surged, shattering the illusion.
Before my eyes stood a man looking down at me, perched atop a giant leaf.
A man dressed in a long, red robe.
“This new recruit is impressive. To perceive Red Thunder Sorcery so easily.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Bion, the second disciple of the Red Thunder God’s Gate. My proficiency has reached the Avatar Phase.”
“Ah?”
So, if I follow this guy, I’ll end up at the Red Thunder God’s Gate?
Having already joined a sect in Teshiniria, my ultimate goal was to reach the ‘Marriage Device’, meaning I didn’t necessarily need to enter a sect.
However, I was completely in the dark about the Marriage Device, the Record Phase, or even the Avatar Phase.
The information I got from the Heavenly Horse Church only covered until the minor realm, so knowledge about cultivation for the Mid World was essential.
I didn’t know how formidable the Red Thunder God’s Gate was, but I thought they might have some useful information about cultivation, so I planned to ask for help.
‘I’ll also offer what help I can give.’
As I waited for the man to speak…
“Then kneel.”
“Excuse me?”
[?]
[Huh?]
[What?]
“Kneel and bow your head until it touches the ground. Then I shall personally make you the fourth disciple of the Red Thunder God’s Gate.”
“…Why?”
“Why is that?”
“Do you really think a mere Transition Device could have a conversation on equal terms with me? How foolish!”
“……”
“First, hand over everything you have. The Ascendant wouldn’t come empty-handed, right?”
[LOL]
[Let’s kill him]
[Is he crazy?]
[This is seriously a kill-worthy situation]
“Lily, let’s pop his head!”
[Has he lost his mind?]
[Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill]
[This is so funny LOL]
[This is just ridiculous]
[A refreshing change of pace, huh?]
[Ah, this is what the martial arts genre is all about]
I nodded my head.
Yeah. This was the ‘martial arts’ I had heard so much about.
The essence of martial arts being discussed to the point of annoyance in the chat window and everywhere else.
Perhaps, this was the situation I was most accustomed to in front of me.
Before taking action, I asked just in case.
“So, could I go another route? Kneeling is a bit much for me.”
“Hah? How rude. Do you even know who you’re speaking to?”
“Is it not allowed?”
“The practitioner from the Jeokmu-hyang must come to the Red Thunder God’s Gate ‘unconditionally’. There are no exceptions.”
“That’s not what the person who guided me said. They mentioned it’s not unconditional and that I could go to another sect if I wanted…”
KWAJIK… KWA-BOOM!!!
Red lightning erupted from the man’s hand and engulfed me.
With a powerful explosion, the lightning burst out, creating a billowy cloud.
For an ordinary practitioner of the Transition Device, this power could reduce someone to a handful of ashes.
“This crazy brat… is asking for death by speaking so arbitrarily.”
“……”
“Especially with the Uncheong Blue Gate involved, a brat with such disdain…”
“Why is the Uncheong Blue Gate relevant?”
“Why? Because those guys are recklessly trampling on territories…?”
!!!
The man’s eyes widened in shock.
As the smoke cleared, he had imagined me turned to ash, but I was completely unharmed.
No, I wasn’t just unharmed; a part of the lightning he shot had become mine.
I was cloaked in red lighting like armor.
“How…”
“Is there something wrong with the Uncheong Blue Gate?”
“…You’re no ordinary practitioner.”
The man’s ferocity rose even further.
I attempted to continue the conversation even after taking that hit, but there was only bloodlust and malice in his eyes.
“This is going nowhere.”
[LOL]
[Do you think lightning will work?]
[Let’s just kill it.]
[Just one hit to the head should wake him up, right?]
[Let’s just eat here, Lily.]
[Lightning is extreme holy though ;;]
[It’s legal to kill now, right, Lily?]
“Is that so?”
[Yeahhhh]
[For real, lol]
[Can you take a look at my hand? Haha]
[LOL]
Hmm.
I was staring blankly at the man who had become ‘the Red Thunder’ itself, surpassing the chaotic tumbling of the Red Thunder.
He looked much stronger, reaching a level beyond the middle stage of the Avatar Phase.
Hayoung, who guided me, was strong enough to easily defeat him.
‘It would be better to give him one more chance.’
I was in a situation where I needed information, and technically, I had intruded into a war zone.
Of course, it was that man who said all human practitioners ascending to Lord Jeokmu-hyang had to come to the Red Thunder God’s Gate.
He seemed very vigilant, so I could afford to show a bit more leniency.
“If you just give me the information, I can let you go this time. How about it?”
“You crazy bitch. Just die.”
The man’s hand pointed at me as if it was a sentence.
Kwahahahaha!!
As the red lightning struck down at the same time.
“?!”
“There’s nothing we can do.”
Ugh!
I also swung down the hammer made of lightning at the man’s head.
Crack!!!!
It buried deep into the ground.
■
After subduing the man? As I entered the Red Thunder God’s Gate, countless practitioners rushed at me as if they had been waiting.
It seemed like they had some kind of communication network to try and subdue me, but all of their heads ended up smashed into the lightning hammer.
How long had it been since I unintentionally caused this mayhem?
“…We lost. Senior.”
I finally met the leader of the Red Thunder God’s Gate, who was kneeling.
Record Phase.
A practitioner who had reached the middle stage beyond the Avatar Phase.
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