Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
Whoosh!
We made our way towards the Huashan Sect using the Light Body Technique and Wind Spirit Technique. To be honest, we could just have used the Light Body Technique alone, but it was Lee Kwang’s order to conserve mental energy. As I laid eyes on the scenery around the Huashan Sect, a complicated feeling welled up within me.
“Master, is it really time to strike at the Huashan Sect already? There’s probably a lot to consider.”
That was my question, to which Lee Kwang responded,
“What concerns you?”
“I had a pact with the Master of the White Lotus Sect, and the Huashan Sect belongs to the Nine Great Sects.”
“Hmph, that’s not a problem at all.”
Lee Kwang smiled coldly.
“A pact? That didn’t say anything about not attacking the Wind Spirit Sect’s central stronghold. Nine Great Sects? It’s already been designated as a matter concerning the Martial World, so what’s it to us? Besides, we were the ones ambushed, and the Wind Spirit Sect is our sworn enemy. What more do we need?”
“……”
“If you fear the Killing Catastrophe, then scram. I won’t stop you.”
“No, I’ll go.”
And thus, we found ourselves here. The spot we currently stood in was a humble corner of the training grounds of the Huashan Sect. One of the nearby disciples stared at us in shock.
“No… it’s you guys…”
Slash!
Without a word, Lee Kwang surged forward, swiftly severing the disciple’s neck. The poor guy didn’t even have time to scream before his head floated away. We felt a chill run down our spines at that sight. While it looked like a simple act, it clearly demonstrated what we were about to do here today.
Just as expected, Lee Kwang turned to us and said softly,
“Leave nothing alive in these mountains today.”
“Yes!”
“Understood.”
“…Yes.”
Jin So-cheong and Geuk Ho replied without hesitation. Even Gu Cheol, who had been a disciple of the Wind Spirit Sect just moments ago, looked pained but responded affirmatively. In a confrontation between the Thunder God Lineage and the Wind Spirit Sect, there was no room for mercy.
But I felt a twinge of hesitation. So, shaking my head, I spoke to Lee Kwang.
“Shouldn’t we spare women and pregnant women?”
Lee Kwang’s eyes glinted fiercely, exuding a tiger-like killing intent.
“Baek Woong, do you alone understand righteousness and chivalry? Are you the only one who knows what’s just? Do you think we’re here to kill the enemy because we’re virtuous souls?”
“Well, that’s…”
“I’ll take full responsibility. But, remember, this is enemy territory.”
“Understood.”
Lee Kwang turned away, his face a bit irritated. It was rare for his usually cold demeanor to show clear anger, which indicated he was quite displeased. I knew from experience that standing against someone like him could easily cost me my life.
I silently reflected.
“Yeah, no one here is enjoying this massacre…”
Having learned from Mangnyang about the spirit of chivalry, I resisted Lee Kwang’s order of slaughter, but I had to consider the fact that we were waging a war against the Wind Spirit Sect, one which could determine our fates. Who would relish killing people they had never met, simply because they bore the name of a rival sect? Yet leaving potential enemies alive was equally foolish.
Suddenly, I recalled Mangnyang’s words.
“I’ll be waiting in Jinlang Valley. Learn as much as you can from this battle.”
“I’ll gain a lot of combat experience.”
“But there’s more to learn from Lee Kwang.”
“Huh?”
“He is a scheming individual with the heart of a serpent. His actions may seem reckless and wild at first glance, but they are executed with meticulous cunning and cold judgment. If you can grasp his decisiveness and composure, you can become someone far greater in the future.”
Mangnyang had high praise for Lee Kwang. It made sense, considering even someone with the unmatched cleverness of Mangnyang found it hard to manipulate Lee Kwang, often leading to backfires. He was a source of annoyance when he was an enemy but a reliable figure when he was on our side.
And then the slaughter began. We stormed the Huashan Sect’s internal building, starting to eliminate every visible martial artist of the Huashan Sect.
Swish!
Thud!
Geuk Ho’s spear twisted violently, and in an instant, he killed three disciples of the Huashan Sect. I rarely had the chance to see Geuk Ho fight, but now that I did, it was clear that his spear mastery had reached impressive heights. Judging by skill alone, he was far more proficient than I was.
“Haha! Is this all you have?”
Geuk Ho yelled wildly, charging forward as if everything present was his sworn enemy. He fought with such vigor that it was astonishing, taking on two peak experts of the Huashan Sect simultaneously with all his might.
Clang clang!
As I dealt with three or four opponents, I observed Geuk Ho’s battle. Jin So-cheong moved closer to me.
“Senior Apprentice, don’t take Master’s words so seriously. There likely aren’t any women in these mountains.”
Only a half-portion of the battle had passed, yet around thirty corpses lay scattered near me and Jin So-cheong. Since there were no remaining disciples of the Huashan Sect to kill, Jin So-cheong aimed to engage me in conversation.
“Older Brother.”
“Do you know why Geuk Ho is fighting so fiercely?”
Lee Kwang had dashed towards an area with more experts. I checked to ensure Lee Kwang was away before I spoke up.
“His Master was killed by the Wind Spirit Sect.”
“Yeah. The two of us—Jin So-cheong and I—don’t hold a direct grudge against the Wind Spirit Sect like Geuk Ho does. So, what you said earlier seems fair.”
As Jin So-cheong shook off the blood from his spear in a circular motion, he surveyed the battlefield calmly and continued,
“But if we show mercy to them, do you think they’ll show mercy to us?”
“……”
“Don’t hesitate any longer. We are the Thunder God Lineage.”
“Understood.”
Whoosh!
I affirmed Jin So-cheong’s words and leaped back into the fray. At that moment, the peak experts of the Huashan Sect, who had been contending with Geuk Ho in a 2-to-1 match-up, were startled. I noticed they weren’t in the typical Huashan Sect attire but wore peculiar black robes.
‘They must be experts dispatched from the Wind Spirit Sect.’
Officially, the Huashan Sect had around six peak experts: the four elders known as the Four Great Masters, and the left and right protectors. Given their uniforms, they were likely either from the sect’s left and right protectors or from elite members sent by the Wind Spirit Sect. I unleashed a fierce sword wind at one of them.
Swish!
“Ugh!”
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, one expert staggered back a few steps. Before he could regain his balance, I launched consecutive strikes, successfully shifting into a one-on-one engagement with the peak expert.
“Die!”
Geuk Ho’s murderous intent radiated as he thrust his Thunder Dragon Pierce. The ever-changing spear technique was too powerful for a lone expert of the Wind Spirit Sect to handle, and soon, a single scream echoed as one was slain.
“Ahh!”
Seeing their comrade fail and hearing his pitiful scream, the remaining peak expert glared fiercely at me.
“Ugh…”
He glared at me with contempt and took on the posture of the body and blade becoming one, ready to strike me down, no matter the cost. Clearly, he was a seasoned master who had dedicated years of his life to martial arts.
But I thought I didn’t need to reciprocate his desperation. The more I delayed, the more unfavorable our side would become, given our smaller numbers. I retreated from his advance and launched my Thunder Blade’s energy from a distance.
Zap!
“Ugh… stay still!”
He shouted fiercely and tried to deflect my Thunder Blade’s slash, but I simply smiled coldly.
“Who is it for?”
When the massive Thunder Blade energy soared and pierced the air ten times, he became utterly exhausted and out of breath. His lethal concentration from the sword and body fusion diminished, allowing me to easily approach him and deliver a crushing blow with the Soul Destruction Technique right to his solar plexus.
Crack!
“Ugh…”
He coughed up blood and then perished. I could’ve toyed with him by severing limbs before ending him, but that felt like an act of mercy to me. As I wrapped up the battle in the area, Jin So-cheong commented with satisfaction.
“Impressive!”
Geuk Ho then lowered his spear and said,
“Master has gone to confront Yong Junil along with Gu Cheol. Let’s hurry and assist them.”
“Right.”
Whoosh!
We dashed towards the rear of the Huashan Sect’s training grounds, where there was a massive bamboo grove stretching far behind the mountain. It seemed like Lee Kwang suspected that Yong Junil would be hiding there. I reflected as I sped through the bamboo grove using my Light Body Technique.
‘This is truly an excellent place for martial arts training.’
But simultaneously, such a place is also quite suitable for ambushes. As we sped through the bamboo, we stumbled upon horrifically mutilated corpses scattered everywhere. They were likely the works of the experts from the Wind Spirit Sect who had challenged Lee Kwang.
Whoosh!
I leaped on a bamboo node and soared through the air, remarking,
“Is it already over? Master is that strong.”
“Not quite.”
Jin So-cheong advanced ahead and replied.
“The Thunder Dragon Sword Dragon Yong Junil is an extraordinary master. Even during the White Lotus Sect meeting, he was hiding his strength, so he shouldn’t be underestimated.”
“Hmm.”
Geuk Ho, running alongside, asked Jin So-cheong,
“Hey, isn’t that dangerous? Gu Cheol just a while ago was a disciple of the Wind Spirit Sect…”
“I doubt it. Master wouldn’t have accepted Gu Cheol if he thought he would betray us again.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yeah.”
While we chatted, we soon crossed a mountain ridge and arrived at a large clearing. It looked like the monumental battle between the Huashan Sect and the Wind Spirit Sect was about to unfold, around ten miles from the main Huashan Sect hall.
Boom!
In the arena stood five powerful figures facing off.
The Thunder God Lineage side had Lee Kwang and Gu Cheol, each wielding their respective weapons, staring down their opponents. The Wind Spirit Sect was represented by the Thunder Dragon Sword Dragon Yong Junil, along with what appeared to be the left and right protectors of the Huashan Sect flanking him. There were also several corpses scattered about, indicating a massacre had already occurred.
Lee Kwang spoke as we arrived,
“Have you cleaned up the main hall?”
“Yes.”
“You should’ve dealt with the lower-level disciples too.”
“I deemed this matter more important.”
As Jin So-cheong responded calmly, Lee Kwang glanced at him. Then he turned his gaze towards the Wind Spirit Sect’s side and declared,
“Yong Junil, you have no chance of victory. Surrender now.”
The Thunder Dragon Sword Dragon Yong Junil, a supremely ranked master recognized among the Nine Great Sects, made a face as if he had heard the most ridiculous thing. With a faint smile, he retorted,
“I have no face to surrender, so do feel free to take my life, Lee Kwang.”
Lee Kwang gritted his teeth.
“You crafty bastard. I didn’t expect you to gather the Wind Spirit Squad at your base.”
“Well, it did cross my mind. According to the gathered intel, the actions of your Thunder God Lineage have been overly swift, making it difficult to set my traps.”
Swish, swish!
“So, I had to protect my own head.”
At that moment, from behind the bamboo grove appeared a group of around thirty robed figures wearing black. They seemed to have been waiting nearby and had now finally arrived. I evaluated their prowess with keen eyes.
“……!!”
They’re strong!
Their strength far surpassed what I had seen from the Wind Spirit Squad in my last life. The difference now was that each member of this new Wind Spirit Squad comprised seasoned veterans in their thirties and forties. They likely represented the elite forces specially trained from the Wind Spirit Sect.
‘Each one is a peak expert…!! What madness!’
The Wind Spirit Squad I had seen before was probably the next generation. Now, only a small amount of time had passed since my previous life, and the previous Wind Spirit Squad was still active. Among them, it seemed unlikely that anyone was stronger than a disciple of the Thunder God Lineage. However, having so many peak experts was a completely unexpected ambush.
Yong Junil remarked,
“Oh, your disciples are all remarkable. I look forward to how far you can hold against the Wind Spirit Squad.”
“……”
Lee Kwang fell silent for a moment and then transmitted a message to me,
[Be ready to use the Light Body Technique at any moment.]
[Understood.]
Lee Kwang seemed to be focusing on retreat for now—it was understandable. The term peak expert in martial arts typically denotes those who are already approaching the pinnacle of martial prowess. When you gathered such beings in one place, victory would not come simply from reckless tactics. Furthermore, having a peerless master like Yong Junil among them made it hard to predict our chances of victory.
Swish, swish!
I, Jin So-cheong, Geuk Ho, and Gu Cheol stood before the Wind Spirit Squad. I could feel the suffocating aura of unity emanating from the Wind Spirit Squad. That meant they had trained in formation techniques. While I was pushing my internal energy to stave off the pressure, it was undeniably a challenging foe.
‘Hmm, where to begin.’
I sent a message to Jin So-cheong and Geuk Ho.
[Buy me twenty seconds to gather my strength.]
It seemed Jin So-cheong and Geuk Ho understood what I was trying to do. They both smiled slyly and replied,
“Alright!”
“Let’s do it.”
And the battle began.
Swish!
Clank, clank!
Loud clashes of sword and knife winds rang throughout the battlefield as the experts of the Wind Spirit Squad activated their formation techniques and surrounded us. We had to block their combined assault while defending our positions.
Hah!
At the same time, Lee Kwang charged like lightning at Yong Junil and the two protectors, launching his unrivaled Thunder Strike, sending a Thunder Dragon shooting forward. It was an intent to divide the battlefield.
Boom!
Moments later, four of the powerful figures, including Lee Kwang, vanished into the distance. Light flared as they unleashed their full might against the Wind Spirit Squad. Miho, who had been in a spherical form, suddenly spoke urgently,
[Are you okay? Do you need me to assist?]
‘It’s fine. Just watch.’
Whoosh!
I began infusing incredible energy into my sword. Soon, the power of the Thunder Blade surged, rising dramatically as I condensed my internal energy into a single point.
Crackle, crackle!
With a mind-blowing force, the Thunder Blade shot upwards, quickly growing to over a yard in height.
Boom!
Lightning sparked before my eyes. I realized that both my skills in handling internal energy and my available energy capacity had greatly improved since last time. Thus, the time needed to fully accumulate my power was considerably less than before. It seemed the Wind Spirit Squad had caught on to my intentions, launching even fiercer attacks.
“Kill them!!”
Boom!
“That’s not going to happen!”
Incredibly, as the peak experts of the Wind Spirit Squad lunged toward me as if they intended to end my life, Jin So-cheong raced forward like lightning and unleashed a thunderous shout—having conjured a Thunder Blade!
“Ahhh!”
Among the nearby Wind Spirit Squad experts, five heads rolled away while two bodies were sent flying. Jin So-cheong’s face paled, but it was an astonishing feat—he had swiftly eliminated five senior experts of a major sect. Geuk Ho, witnessing Jin So-cheong’s display of might, gritted his teeth and shouted,
“Uooooh!!”
Soul Destruction Technique
Secret Art
Thunder Light
From Geuk Ho’s Soul Destruction Technique, twelve Thunder Shadows burst forth. Creating Thunder Shadows from the Soul Destruction Technique was a feat only Geuk Ho of the Thunder God Lineage could accomplish, and it seemed he had grown profoundly since our last encounter.
“Ugh.”
As the Thunder Lights of the Soul Destruction Technique executed an attack, those Wind Spirit Squad experts, who had previously sought to take advantage of Jin So-cheong’s openings, fell while bleeding. It was astonishing how the Thunder Shadows generated by the Soul Destruction Technique attacked the enemy as if they were real! Such an assault was beyond what even typical clones could deliver, causing shock among all the experts present.
“Huff, huff.”
Gu Cheol, known as the Green Forest King, was covered in blood. Although it had only been ten seconds of chaos, he looked dangerously close to collapse. He was an outstanding peak expert, but the combined assault from the Wind Spirit Squad was on another level. I grew anxious upon seeing Gu Cheol.
‘More, more, more!!’
Boom, boom, boom!
The energy-infused Thunder Blade swelled to form dark clouds, crackling with electricity that swirled upwards. As the electric current surged, the lightning spiraled around my blade like a serpent, compressing into an extremely concentrated point. I realized at that moment I had surpassed my past limits with the Thunder Blade.
Focus.
Condense.
Then, I concentrated all my internal energy into that single line.
My focus became one with my entire body as if every fiber from my toes to the top of my head twisted together. My senses heightened to the point of ringing in my ears. My head throbbed, but I ignored it and centered everything on compressing the Thunder Blade.
‘… Here it comes!’
Crack!
In that instant, the Thunder Blade, imbued with all my power, was complete.
“Yah!”
I swung the Thunder Blade, fully confident that I couldn’t hold out even for three seconds. With it, I aimed towards the encroaching Wind Spirit Squad experts.
Sword Spirit.
In that fleeting moment, I heard Jin So-cheong murmur. Just before I could ponder what he meant, the heavens exploded with blinding light.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The lightning unleashed storms as it erupted forth. The moment the lightning coursed through, the Wind Spirit Squad’s experts were incinerated where they stood. The overwhelming heat and thunderbolts raining down created a spectacle that could easily be mistaken for magic. The truth was it was merely my accumulated power, uncontrolled, spilling into the fray.
The blinding light burst forth, conjuring a crimson purgatory. Six peak experts of the Wind Spirit Squad met their fiery end. I couldn’t rein in the fury of energy I’d unleashed, and it made me feel faint from the magnitude. I barely managed to maintain my focus as I tried to hit as many enemies as possible.
Boom!
Once again, a second explosion occurred. This time, four nearby Wind Spirit Squad experts were reduced to mere chunks, vanishing into nothing. They appeared to have made one last desperate attempt to kill me with their combined efforts, but they were helpless against the Thunder Blade’s onslaught.
Even amidst the chaos, I was doing everything I could to avoid hitting my allies. The disciples of the Thunder God Lineage, including Jin So-cheong, were right beside me, but the force I unleashed was so potent that I couldn’t be certain of the fallout.
Boom, boom…
Finally, after the release of the Thunder Blade had finished, the mountains crumbled and the hills leveled. It was hard to believe this place had once been the bamboo grove. Everything that had once stood was now obliterated, no bamboo in sight—only destruction lay in its wake.
I confirmed none of the enemies stood, all swept from existence, and finally, I collapsed to the ground.
“Phew…”
We won.
Although my internal energy was entirely drained and recovering would take a while, I had, after all, succeeded in defeating the foes using my own power!
Beside me, Geuk Ho chuckled.
“Hehe… You really made a sword spirit out of your internal energy, you monster.”
For some reason, I felt quite elated and began to laugh.
“Hehe… heh… Let’s dig into some snow ginseng later…”
“Only if you hand it over, kid.”
Amidst the trivial chatter, Jin So-cheong spoke.
“Older Brother Geuk Ho. Please escort the Senior Apprentice away.”
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes, that’s enough.”
“Got it… Baek Woong is in my hands…”
“And I…”
Ah.
I’m truly exhausted…
I couldn’t even catch the rest of their dialogue before fainting from the extreme fatigue, which hit me all at once, like none before—even more than when I had slashed through one hundred thousand foes in the past.
