0066 : Demon Subduing Hall
My ninth life has begun.
“Huff… huff…”
I suppressed the pain coursing through my body, drenched in sweat. The agony and despair from being skewered by daggers and waiting for death were etched in my mind. It was difficult to breathe until the phantom pains subsided. Above all, the absurdity of having died in a completely unexpected location was draining my mental resolve.
I lay in the stable, and after a while, I was finally able to catch my breath. My body was soaked with sweat. I propped myself up and muttered,
“… What a struggle.”
I could understand being attacked by the Mado Eight Gates. They likely targeted me as I had wandered off alone from the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. If I had merely gone there to handle my business quickly, I would only have to deal with the Black Night Gate, and death would not have been necessary. Unfortunately, I’d ended up letting Mangnyang know, wasting time and giving the Black and White Lotus a chance to gather and swarm me.
The real problem was that I had died at such an ambiguous time. I was troubled by the fact that I would have to restart at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School once again.
How on earth would I get back in?
Not only had I merely grasped the basics of the Thunder Spirit Sect, but I had also learned the Thunder Pillar Kill and Thunder Blade techniques, which might very well be Samjeol Lee Kwang’s unique martial arts. Additionally, I had absorbed the Secret Movement Technique and the application of the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique. It was impossible to conceal my achievements, so I would have to persuade Lee Kwang from the very beginning.
If Samjeol Lee Kwang doubted me, I would be a dead man right then and there. That person possessed such extraordinary martial prowess that it was uncertain whether I could escape from him, regardless of my internal energy.
‘How nice would it have been if I had learned the application technique of the Thunder Shadow Sword before I died!’
It was particularly regretful that I had not fully mastered the technique. Usually, Lee Kwang would say that there were still four or five techniques left for him to teach me, which made me acutely aware that my martial arts expertise was only half-baked for someone succeeding the Thunder Spirit Sect. If I had genuinely mastered the Thunder Pillar Kill, I would not have died.
As I pondered, I let out a long sigh.
“… Ha~ ah, it can’t be helped. First, I should gather whatever I can and then make my move.”
While I was deliberating, time would continue to flow. I was surprisingly aware that, despite having gained much information in my eighth life, I could still act quickly and have time to spare.
Swoosh!
Running out of the stable and retrieving the Cheonam Biseo was no longer a challenging task. After acquiring the techniques of the Thunder Spirit Sect, even mechanisms like arrow traps felt trivial. This was proof that my martial arts had advanced significantly compared to my early days.
After obtaining the Cheonam Biseo, I began my sprint toward Mount Huang. However, this time, there was no need to rush, so I didn’t have to expend all my energy desperately. Since the ‘tragedy of Taegyeong Village’ was sealed for the moment, I didn’t need to move frantically until the Kingdom of Gold attempted another calamity.
On my way to Mount Huang, I realized how efficiently my movement techniques had transformed. Unlike before, my motion and energy expenditure had significantly decreased, allowing me to move gracefully for an extended period without wasting excessive internal energy.
As a result, it seemed I had not rushed that much, yet I managed to arrive at Mount Huang only three or four days later than my best record. My body hardly reeked, which was a testament to my leisure.
“Finally, I’ve arrived.”
When I reached the lower village of Mount Huang, I made sure to prepare adequately. Of course, I took along the pot to brew the Black and White Lotus, and this time, I stopped by the blacksmith to purchase a quality sword as well. Money was sufficient, having acquired it by defeating a few bandits on my way here.
With everything prepared, I proceeded into the hidden valleys of Mount Huang to consume the Millennium Snow Ginseng.
Kuuuuuu – !!
“… Something feels a bit off.”
I let out a slightly dissatisfied sound as my immense internal energy fluctuated like the current of the air. It was understandable since I felt less growth in my internal energy compared to the last time. While there was an impression of massive energy filling my physical vessel, the vessel had grown so large that the sense of fulfillment felt diminished. Nevertheless, this was still better than having gained nothing, so I decided to be somewhat satisfied.
I immediately dove into the pond.
Splash – !!
Sure enough, the ruins of the Seven Stars were hidden, and I extracted the bead to enter the ruins. Upon arriving at the altar inside the ruins, I removed the hidden gold ingots and placed them outside the pond beforehand. Making the round trip was somewhat bothersome, but it was still better than last time, where I couldn’t carry any gold at all.
I was aware that behind the stone wall of the altar lay the guardian, a giant spider, protecting the divine sword of the Seven Stars, the Water Moon (막야). I stared intensely in that direction before spilling my blood on the altar, but there was no choice. I needed to deal with the guardian before I could obtain the Water Moon.
‘Hmm… I doubt the same trick of using gold ingots and torches will work again.’
It was a chance that might only happen once in a hundred tries. Accurately hitting the eye of the giant spider guardian, which might not even be alive beyond the pitch-black abyss, was impossible with my current skill. After contemplating for a long while, I firmly grasped the long sword I had brought with me.
“It can’t be helped. I have no choice but to test my strength this time.”
I resolved to trust the effort I had put into martial training during my eighth life. If that time had not been wasted, I might be able to preserve my life in the battle against the guardian giant spider. With a steely determination, I poured my blood onto the altar.
Creeeak…
The stone wall opened. I focused on the narrow bridge beyond the stone wall and steeled my body.
I needed to give it my all.
The opportunity came just once.
Failure would mean certain death.
“Thunder Shadow Technique, Secret Move, Thunder Pillar Kill.”
Riding the blood of the heavenly pillars, the thunder energy surged throughout my body. In that brief instant, my reflexes and bodily movements felt dramatically accelerated. The thunder energy crackled around me as my body held its breath, condensing an incredible amount of force. It resembled a cat coiling up before making a leap.
“Full deployment!”
Bang!
My body shot forward like a bolt of lightning. I had only taken two steps, yet my physique had already covered more than twenty paces. While I gained tremendous speed in that short moment, each step consumed an immense amount of internal energy. By the time I took my third step, I was nearly across the narrow bridge, and I could hear the sound of the wind whooshing past my ear.
Thud!
My body skidded to a stop, leaving a fiery mark on the ground. Gripping the axis tightly, I steadied my center of gravity as the Water Moon came into view. Clenching the Water Moon, I grit my teeth and deployed the Thunder Shadow Technique, Thunder Pillar Kill, once more.
Whoosh –
It was the moment I flew through the air like a spring. The guardian giant spider finally leaped, revealing its dark and colossal body from the abyss. I was almost blinded by the sight of the immense figure appearing before me, and for a moment, I almost shut my eyes, but I steeled my resolve and swung the sword I held in one hand.
The Thunder Blade expanded to the size of an inch and struck one of the spider’s legs. An intense sound echoed as if metal had been struck.
Clang!
“Ugh…”
I was stunned. My Thunder Blade had delivered a powerful strike that even a senior of the Nine Gates Alliance would have turned pale upon receiving. Despite the overwhelming internal energy behind my thunderous strike, I felt a tingling sensation in my arm. Crimson blood gushed from the spider’s leg, but considering its size, it was likely just a minor scratch.
I felt chills rise all over my body.
‘This thing is truly a monster…!!’
For a brief moment, I realized how futile the thought of confronting it head-on was. Unless I had time to gather the Thunder Blade for maximum deployment, its reactions were far more agile and swift than any peak master. Even at my current level, facing it directly would make me a meal within a hundred seconds.
However, I had managed to catch it off guard. Using the moment when the spider’s leg hesitated, I propelled myself again through the air, reaching the exit in a stable manner. Without looking back, I commenced my escape from the ruins.
Thud thud thud
A massive thread was launched from behind, but at this point, I could manage it. My internal energy’s potential and the precision of my swordplay had both increased. Afraid the gigantic spider would catch up, I hurriedly climbed the stairs and emerged from the pond, collapsing to the ground.
Flop
“Ughhh… I’m alive.”
This situation was similar to last time. The difference was that this time I had obtained the Water Moon through my own strength rather than relying on luck. Of course, a bit of luck was involved again, but considering it, I could reasonably say I had acquired it through skill. Moreover, removing the gold ingots beforehand had brought me a notable profit.
As I lay there, recovering my stamina, I pondered.
What should I do now?
Having obtained everything worthy, I had to decide my next actions. After lying down and contemplating for a while, my gaze landed on the pond. Suddenly, a good idea struck me.
“… Right! I should gather the roots of the Black and White Lotus and leave!”
Why hadn’t I thought of that until now?
Due to its association with the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, the existence of the Black and White Lotus roots was not widely known, yet they were treasures possessing the power of Extreme Yang. In terms of potency, they rivaled the elixirs derived from the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng. The only issue was that consuming them while enduring Extreme Yang energy was quite a challenge, but if the person taking them was prepared, they could devise countermeasures.
After carefully digging up about three roots of the Black and White Lotus, I gingerly placed them in the bundle I had brought. Until now, I hadn’t needed to share any elixirs, so I had kept them untouched, but from now on, things would be different. As I packed the roots away, I thought to myself.
‘I need companions.’
This was something I realized after nearly dying this time. The Mado Eight Gates had teamed up to overwhelm me, and there was no information, no room for preparation, and not even anyone to fight alongside me. Looking back at the time when Mangnyang became my ally, and we survived numerous death threats together, it felt utterly contrasting. I came to understand that relying solely on my own strength had its limits.
In that regard, the roots of the Black and White Lotus would be a significant help in creating allies. With renewed determination, I hoisted my bundle and began to make my way out from Mount Huang.
“Let’s go!”
Once outside Mount Huang, I couldn’t afford to waste a moment. Now, it was clear that the energy of Water would soon surge, unleashing catastrophic dark clouds to strike the area. I had to move quickly to avoid being caught in a flood.
As I started running frantically without even resting at night, I began to gain speed comparable to those legendary steeds. I hadn’t realized how fast I could go, as I seldom ran with intent; it felt like less than half a meal’s worth of time had passed, and I had already crossed a mountain. I began to think that among humans, there were probably very few with better lightness techniques than mine.
Swish
Thud thud thud
I kept running and running. The ominous clouds had begun to gather around seven weeks after I had extracted the Water Moon. My goal was to reach maximum distance by that time, but unexpectedly, I arrived at Taegyeong Village in just three days.
“Haah… I can’t believe I’m dying.”
Panting and resting in front of the monument at Taegyeong Village, I found it hard to believe.
“Wow… I’ve really gotten faster…”
There hadn’t been a significant change in my internal energy. However, as the heir of the Thunder Spirit Sect, learning secret techniques and applying my internal energy, as well as progressing to the stage of utilizing the Thunder Pillar Kill, had multiplied my speed several times over. This was proof that my previous training hadn’t been in vain.
I realized that if I ran diligently for half a day at my speed, I could comfortably enter Jinrang Valley from Taegyeong Village. With that in mind, I quickly headed to the barn at the back of the village to accomplish what I needed to do there.
Creak
Using the secret passage through the well, I stealthily infiltrated the Hua Clan. After confirming that there was no one in the kitchen of the Hua Clan, I secretly snuck into the room of Hua Jong-taek, the head of the clan. Since it was nighttime, there were hardly any people wandering around the mansion, making it an easy task.
I saw Hua Jong-taek sleeping while hugging a concubine, other than Hua Lian, in the nude. He must have engaged in the act before falling asleep. I quietly rummaged through his room while ensuring I wouldn’t wake them by pressing a pressure point to induce deep sleep on them.
‘There it is.’
In the inner part of Hua Jong-taek’s study, I spotted a silver phoenix statue. It had been in the kitchen when I first infiltrated, which I found strange, but here it was. Rather than being hidden, it seemed to be placed conspicuously for bragging rights to guests. The security around it was somewhat lax, likely due to Hua Jong-taek’s carefree personality, not worried about petty thieves.
“Apologies, but I must take this. The secret of this Balhae statue must be uncovered.”
I thought that it would be worthless in the hands of Hua Jong-taek, who did not understand its value. After all, I had been gifted that item in my past life, so I nonchalantly placed the silver phoenix statue in my bundle and escaped through the secret passage without leaving a trace.
Thud thud thud
I ran!
Without wasting a moment, I started hustling towards Jinrang Valley. I swear, I had never reached Jinrang Valley this quickly since my rebirth. Arriving at Jinrang Valley during the night, I made my way to Mangnyang’s house and forcibly woke him from his sleep.
“Mangnyang! Wake up!”
“Whaaaaa! Save meee!!”
Mangnyang let out a bizarre scream as he sat up, looking utterly shocked as if struck by lightning in the middle of the night. Ignoring his startled expression, I hurriedly stated my purpose.
Clang
I placed the Water God Sword, Mo Ya, in front of him and infused it with my internal energy to activate the inscriptions. Despite the chaos, Mangnyang displayed great curiosity upon seeing it. Then, he turned pale as he processed my next words.
“This is the divine artifact, Mo Ya, symbolizing the water element from the Seven Stars’ secret treasures!”
“……?!?!”
“I retrieved it from the sealing ground, and it seems a flood disaster is imminent. If you have any methods to prevent this calamity, please enlighten me.”
“W-wait… This Mo Ya is a treasure on par with a talisman?! How are you even…”
“There’s no time! Quickly!”
As I urged him, Mangnyang tried to calm his racing heart and collected himself. He then retrieved the Calm Heart Pill, hidden behind his study, and after consuming it, he appeared more relaxed.
“Whoever you are, it seems that the anomaly in the heavens has occurred due to the movement hidden within Mo Ya. To stop this, a ritual altar for Mo Ya must be built, and a celestial ceremony must take place.”
So there is a method! My face brightened as I asked,
“Can we do it?”
“… I lack the divine ability for ritual magic, so it might be difficult. However, if it’s a priest…”
“Let’s go! It will only take a day to reach Luoyang!”
“Eh?! How do you know where my priest is?!”
Mangnyang hurriedly threw on his clothes. I grinned and replied,
“Because I’ve dealt with that bastard a lot!”
“……?”
Mangnyang’s priest, Cheon Woo-jin. If it’s him, he might just be able to prevent the calamity brought by Mo Ya.
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