0076 : Demon Subduing Hall
The breathing technique of Thunder Call was quite unique. Unlike the regular human breath controlled by inhalation and exhalation, it involved condensing the breath, synchronizing it throughout the body, and then releasing it all at once. This required controlling the energy even at the pores. Mastering the Thunder Call’s breath, which mixed dozens or hundreds of different flows and raised it to the forehead, required substantial training.
For the first month, I dedicated myself to mastering Thunder Call, even sacrificing sleep at night. Lee Kwang, unusually intense, practiced with his eyes wide open as he taught me the technique, and I stripped off my shirt to focus amidst the waterfall. It was an effort to control the natural energy without dispersing it, creating a perfect flow of Thunder Energy.
I devoted my absolute concentration and relentless determination to this, as I sensed deep down that I might never have another chance to learn this Thunder Call technique again. By chance, I had stirred Lee Kwang’s heart, receiving the true essence of the technique, but there was no guarantee that such an opportunity would arise again even after hundreds of attempts. I had to make the most of this chance, which I had finally obtained after ten lifetimes.
I even employed the operations of the Xuan Tian Divine Art, immersing myself day and night. The outcome of my efforts revealed itself approximately four months later.
Wooong!!
‘I got it!’
For the first time, I felt the Thunder Call’s breath envelop my entire body. Unlike when Lee Kwang executed it effortlessly, I needed an extreme level of concentration, but nonetheless, I had succeeded for the first time. Lee Kwang, watching from the side, said,
“You’ve finally mastered it. Well done.”
“I’m terribly sorry for taking so long.”
“No, it’s fine. Now that you’ve mastered it, the average person will no longer be your match. If you proceed calmly from here, you will reach a higher level.”
Suuuu…
As I released the Thunder Call, I felt tremendous internal energy draining from my body. Just maintaining it for a mere 30 seconds seemed to deplete about 10% of my internal energy. As I blankly examined my physical state, Lee Kwang asked,
“How does it feel? Do you think you can maintain Thunder Call for a while?”
“I think I can manage a bit over half a minute.”
“You possess monstrous internal energy. Most who just learn Thunder Call can’t last for more than 10 seconds…”
Lee Kwang had a genuinely astonished expression on his face. After a moment of thought, he said,
“Now, try to sustain Thunder Call until your internal energy is completely exhausted.”
“Understood.”
Wooong!
I followed Lee Kwang’s command, maintaining the Thunder Call until my energy was entirely depleted. In this state, my reflexes and movements became extraordinarily fast, as if the world had stopped. Moreover, the movement of true energy was incredibly nimble, making it feel as if I could execute any technique with cyclical precision.
Crack!
As I surpassed half a minute, I felt my internal energy completely exhausted, and my veins began to surface. Just then, a surge of hidden energy from my dantian allowed me to endure a little longer. It felt as if the energy was rising involuntarily. Ultimately, I was able to maintain it for just under a standard period before I could release the Thunder Call.
“Hah… Hah…”
“……”
Lee Kwang had a look of astonishment as he watched me, who had just maintained Thunder Call for nearly a full standard period. He was muttering to himself with a quivering voice,
“To maintain Thunder Call for an entire period… truly the greatest internal energy of all. You are already close to the Heavenly Spirit Pill.”
“Hah… Hah… Master… what exactly is the Heavenly Spirit Pill…?”
I asked, gasping for breath.
“You’ve always mentioned the Heavenly Spirit Pill… could you explain what kind of realm it represents?”
“The Heavenly Spirit Pill signifies the opening of the middle dantian. The energy accumulated in the lower dantian overflows, not only circulating through the eight extraordinary meridians and the palpitations of life and death but also influencing the surrounding space. At that moment, the gathered energy will begin to form into a pill, endowing one with a semi-permanent internal energy that does not diminish no matter how much it is used.”
“……!!”
“However, it seems that you have not yet reached the Heavenly Spirit Pill. To attain it, one must undergo a special process with their own energy. The evidence of reaching the Heavenly Spirit Pill lies in an almost infinite amount of internal energy and the metamorphosis.”
“Metamorphosis?”
“The Partial Rebirth is a part of the metamorphosis. By going through this process, one can become rejuvenated as if they were younger or maintain the peak condition of their body in a stable state. Since you have not yet encountered this process, you have not fully attained the Heavenly Spirit Pill.”
My heart raced as I realized that the legendary state of metamorphosis was drawing near. If what he said was true, it meant that I could shed my old shell and attain the optimal body! Yet, at the same time, I felt puzzled.
‘I have consumed the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and the Black and White Lotus a total of seven times. Surely, no one in the world has ingested more elixirs than I have. Yet, Han Baek-ryeong has already achieved both metamorphosis and Partial Rebirth. Judging by internal energy alone, I should surpass Han Baek-ryeong; why is there such a difference?’
It seemed that metamorphosis was not merely a phenomenon that occurred with increased absolute levels of internal energy. I queried further to understand metamorphosis better.
“Why can’t I naturally achieve metamorphosis?”
“Who knows? I have my suspicions, but it would be faster to ask someone who has already attained it.”
With that, Lee Kwang casually summoned a wooden spear from across the way into the aura of water manipulation. He aimed the spear at me and said,
“Now, try using Thunder Call again. This time, I will let you experience the power of Thunder Call.”
“Excuse me?”
“You are aware that your internal energy is still recovering on its own. Even for a fleeting moment, focus and try it.”
Reluctantly, I summoned my stamina and mental fortitude once more to activate the Thunder Call’s breath. The moment a bluish thunderbolt coursed through my entire body, Lee Kwang unexpectedly activated the strike technique with the wooden spear. His strike was alarmingly fast and merciless, leaving me often unable to evade or retaliate.
Yet, it was different this time.
I evaded.
Bang!
For a brief instant while using Thunder Call, I managed to avoid Lee Kwang’s thrust and repositioned myself into a slightly more defensible stance.
“Whoa!”
I was astonished, as this was something I could not have achieved with my previous skills. Lee Kwang chuckled lightly.
“That’s the power of Thunder Call. Your reflexes, response speed, and the movement speed of true energy all increase explosively. While you maintain that state, it will even feel as if the world has slowed down.”
“Indeed.”
“If you can maintain Thunder Call for an entire standard period, that would be perfect. The time spent executing Thunder Call does not consume internal energy like other techniques, so during that period, you will fear no opponent.”
“Indeed…!!”
I realized that this truly deserved to be called the ultimate skill. If I possessed such a technique, my survival rate—and the chances of victory in battle—would undoubtedly skyrocket. However, since it consumed a tremendous amount of internal energy, I needed to use it sparingly, but it was undeniably a remarkable advantage.
Afterward, I trained for a year under Lee Kwang’s detailed guidance in the Thunder Spirit Eight Forms, practicing the foundational techniques of Lan Nachal until bruises formed on my palm. Strangely, each time I practiced, the foundational techniques felt distinctly different, making the learning process enjoyable.
Occasionally, I could see Lee Kwang’s disappointment at my slow training pace, but he seemed determined to continue teaching me. This indicated that he had a clear ‘purpose’ in instructing me, unlike before.
And on the day marking one year of my spear training, Lee Kwang spoke up.
“I will grant you the license for the Thunder Spirit Eight Forms.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I permit you to begin your training in the Heaven Thunder Infinite Spear and the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique.”
My heart raced.
The Heaven Thunder Infinite Spear was the most powerful spear technique of the Thunder God Sect, and the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique was an advanced martial skill known for its significant transformations and incredible speed. Mastering these two would qualify me to declare myself a true successor of the Thunder God Sect.
At that moment, Jin So-cheong, who was assisting with spear training, interjected.
“Isn’t it a bit early?”
“It might be, but we should consider the time it takes to pass on the six forms of the Heaven Thunder Infinite Spear. We have no choice but to give it a try.”
“……”
From their conversation, I understood that my spear skills had only reached a passable level and were not sufficient to satisfy them. I was merely scraping by on a thin margin. While slightly hurt to realize this, there was no way around it, so I kept quiet as Lee Kwang began teaching the Heaven Thunder Infinite Spear.
“Alright, let’s get started.”
And time flowed like water.
I trained and trained.
It took me a whopping three years to grasp and practice the forms of the Heaven Thunder Infinite Spear, followed by an additional year to enter the initial stages of the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique. It had taken approximately five and a half years since entering the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School for me to finally succeed in learning the advanced martial arts of the Thunder God Sect.
However, after nearly six years, I was plagued by my own discomfort at how much I had endured.
“Ha… should I just end it all…”
I let out a deep sigh and slumped down in the training grounds. Although I had come out today reluctantly, the thought of facing Lee Kwang’s fierce glare sent shivers down my spine.
The echoes of his past roars still haunted me.
“Damn it! How can a talentless fool like me waste all my resources on this! What a waste of time! AARGH!!”
In the past, Lee Kwang had been utterly flabbergasted that it took me as long as three years to learn the Heaven Thunder Infinite Spear, and if Jin So-cheong hadn’t intervened, I would have surely perished at Lee Kwang’s hands. He was genuinely passionate about teaching me, fully committed to putting everything on the line, yet when push came to shove, I was simply too dull for him to handle.
That day, I endured more beatings than I could count, to the point where the first day’s punishment felt like a gentle tap. Had Jin So-cheong not stepped in, I likely would have died and been reborn on that very spot. I owed the year I got to learn the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique completely to Jin So-cheong’s interventions. Even so, I was so exhausted that it took me nearly fifteen days of recuperation before I could stand again.
The reason I was seriously contemplating ending it all was that living each day under Lee Kwang’s deadly gaze was becoming unbearably difficult. Still, given that there was no better place to train in martial arts, I was forcing myself to endure this torment.
‘Damn… When expectations build up and you fail them, Lee Kwang really turns cold.’
The current Lee Kwang seemed to harbor a palpable resentment towards me. Just as I was mumbling to myself while trying to practice the Lan, Nai, and Cha methods with my spear, a sudden chirping caught my attention.
Pee-lee-reee!!
Out of nowhere, a bird swooped into the training ground. Upon closer inspection, it was a paper bird, and I quickly snatched it up to see its message. The paper bird was a technique that Master Mangnyang had used to inform me when he mastered his intermediate skills.
The letter read as follows:
[Are you doing well at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School?
I have been traveling the world in search of clues about the silver phoenix statue, thanks to your assistance in obtaining the black-and-white lotus root and the makya. In the meantime, I have made various companions, and quite a lot has happened over the years. However, I’ve deemed it appropriate to inform you now, so I am reaching out.
Please come to Jinrang Valley by the third day.
From Mangnyang.]
It seemed that after receiving the black-and-white lotus root, makya, and the phoenix statue from me, Master Mangnyang had spent his own five-year journey. I felt a rush of joy, almost bringing me to tears, as it had been such a long time since I heard from him. Training every day at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School had been a torturous ordeal, so receiving this letter was truly a blessing.
‘Alright. I should go out.’
I resolved to meet Mangnyang and listen to his stories and information. Then, I went to find Jin So-cheong, showed him the letter, and informed him of my intent to visit Jinrang Valley. Jin So-cheong nodded and said:
“It seems my disciple has been feeling gloomy lately, so a change of scenery would do you good. Take your time, even if it takes a few days. I will inform the Master.”
“Why are you packing your things, Older Sister?”
Indeed, Jin So-cheong was already preparing his bundle behind him.
He smiled and replied, “It’s nothing much. I was thinking of starting to make my rounds in the Jianghu.”
I was taken aback.
“Really? Did the Master permit this?”
“Of course. They said my skills have reached a sufficient level. It’s time for me to travel and deal with the masters of the Jianghu.”
“I see.”
Jin So-cheong sighed with a hint of regret.
“It seems I won’t be able to accompany you. I need to head directly to Jiangnan.”
“Jiangnan?”
“I heard that the Poison Demon from the Eight Devils of Martial Daos has been causing trouble there. I intend to subdue him.”
“……”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. The Eight Devils of Martial Daos represented the pinnacle of martial arts in the Jianghu, and he claimed he would subdue the fearsome Poison Demon as if he were a mere neighborhood pup? Yet, I knew well enough that Jin So-cheong possessed the strength to do just that, so I held my tongue.
‘Older Sister is about to rise as one of the top masters in the world.’
Perhaps this was the reason Lee Kwang had developed such resentment towards me. Whenever the time comes, Jin So-cheong needs to be given the opportunity to spread his wings, but precious time that could have been invested in his development was being wasted due to my presence as his sole disciple. Once Jin So-cheong actively begins to operate in the Jianghu, he will hardly have time to see Lee Kwang, which could explain Lee Kwang’s feelings.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
I bid farewell to Jin So-cheong and headed straight for Jinrang Valley. My steps were light, and my mood was cheerful. After dedicating so much effort to my martial training, I was excited to see how much Mangnyang had changed.
Tydaht
However, the moment I stepped into Jinrang Valley, I felt an unsettling premonition.
‘What is this?’
Although there were no significant changes in the village, not a single person was visible. Furthermore, an ominous energy was seeping in from all directions. I unexpectedly sensed the presence of邪氣 (evil energy) flowing everywhere and swallowed hard as I moved inward.
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