Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

[What?]

Yi Cheong-un's eyes gleamed fiercely like a tiger's. It meant the master of the Thunder God Style was ready to fight.

"The reason you're coveting other sects' ultimate arts even after obtaining the Primordial Spirit... It must mean the Primordial Spirit has a massive weakness. The only way to cover that weakness would be pure advancement in martial prowess."

[......]

"Cult Leader. What are you afraid of? And what else are you hiding from us?"

The Cult Leader did not respond.

He had never intended to reveal the Primordial Spirit's weakness from the start.

Step.

[Urk...]

[Ugh...]

In that instant, the Cult Leader trembled, and Dokgo Jun, standing beside him, staggered back two steps. Their souls were pushed back by the formless pressure of the Thunder God Style, delivering a massive mental shock. Dokgo Jun cried out in surprise, his voice escaping aloud.

#*?&k*!!!

An alien voice.

It was a bizarre sound that could barely be called human. Yi Cheong-un glanced irritably at Dokgo Jun, crushed by his own martial arts, and spoke.

"So that's why you didn't speak. You traded your power for a body transformed like the Water God clan's."

[Umm...]

"Do you have to abandon your humanity to chase strength? Answer me, Cult Leader!"

As Yi Cheong-un bellowed, the Cult Leader's eyes flashed as he retorted.

[The two-legged ones are amassing enormous power in the Imperial Palace. As the head of the Water God Style and the White Lotus Cult Leader, I am merely preparing the strength to repel them.]

It was a story Yi Cheong-un had never heard before, but he dismissed it outright.

"Bullshit."

[Um...]

"It's obvious anyway. It's not just the Heavenly Spirit Pills, is it? Eventually, you'll sell off the entire White Lotus Cult to contract with the heteromorphs if needed, turning them into war machines! Otherwise, you wouldn't try to sweet talk the Guardian Beasts!"

The White Lotus Cult Leader made no retort, which was as good as affirmation. He clearly intended to use the White Lotus Cult as he saw fit if necessary.

Yi Cheong-un's eyes blazed with fury. He ground his teeth and said,

"You're no warrior of the White Lotus Cult! You're nothing but a great villain compromising with evil spirits to fulfill your ambitions!"

[Negotiations are broken, then.]

Killing intent swirled.

The terrifying absolute inner energy of three peerless masters filled the hall with an overwhelming pressure. Yi Cheong-un smirked.

"I planned to fight anyway. Let's see the might of that vaunted Primordial Spirit!"

And the battle began.

Kwarung!

[Cough...]

Exactly one second.

The moment the fight started, Yi Cheong-un turned Dokgo Jun into mincemeat. In the blink of an eye, an explosion rang out, and Dokgo Jun staggered, vomiting dark red blood from all seven orifices. How many hits had he taken in just one second?

"Monster."

Yi Cheong-un, gripping Dokgo Jun's arm, made no effort to hide his disgust. He ripped off Dokgo Jun's arm from the shoulder and plunged it into his belly.

Puk!

With a gruesome sound, Dokgo Jun collapsed forward as if meeting his end. The light rapidly faded from Dokgo Jun's eyes.

[......?!]

It happened so suddenly that the White Lotus Cult Leader wore a baffled expression.

What... what is this?

Dokgo Jun defeated!

The White Lotus Cult Leader had already achieved the Primordial Spirit, reaching the realm of martial deity, where he could leisurely observe all extreme speeds. Even the swiftest sword of a transcendent master could be easily countered. Thus, he had assumed his clash with Yi Cheong-un would come down to a battle of attrition.

But the scene before him was utterly absurd. Dokgo Jun might not match him who had achieved the Primordial Spirit, but with the Heavenly Spirit Pill, he was a peerless master with few equals under heaven. He never imagined Dokgo Jun would fall so swiftly.

Yi Cheong-un, shaking the blood from his hand, spoke coldly.

"What's wrong? Frustrated because things aren't going as planned?"

From that single phrase, the Cult Leader sensed the stench of blood and slaughter. He truly realized that the strongest master of the Thunder God Style, vicious and cruel, stood before him.

[Is that the Thunder God Style's ultimate secret art?]

"Think what you want."

Muttering, lightning flashed in Yi Cheong-un's eyes.

"You made a mistake. What was originally an ultimate art unusable by humans became transcendent thanks to the Heavenly Spirit Pill!"

Thunder God Style

Ultimate Secret Art

Thunder God Soul activated!

Ping—

[?]

A sound like a thread being pulled rang out, and the White Lotus Cult Leader witnessed his arm flying through the air. He realized it was thanks to achieving the Primordial Spirit. Yi Cheong-un had originally aimed to sever his head with one technique, but because he barely sensed it in that split second, it ended with just the arm.

[Sage Tribulation!]

Wussung.

Time slowed to an extreme, forcing all surrounding things into a state of mental clarity. This was a realm the White Lotus Cult Leader had simultaneously comprehended upon obtaining the Primordial Spirit—a absolute art that slowed all creation while accelerating himself. Normally, the moment Sage Tribulation was activated, no one could oppose him.

However—at that instant, a deadly thunderbolt warped space.

Even in the space slowed by Sage Tribulation, Yi Cheong-un moved freely. No—what was originally impossibly fast had merely slowed to a watchable level. In the Sage Tribulation space, Yi Cheong-un's body darted in all directions like a light projectile, stabbing a blade head into the Cult Leader's solar plexus in a split second.

Kwang!!

An explosion rang out, and the Taiji summoned by the Cult Leader deflected Yi Cheong-un's strike. Yet the Cult Leader felt numbness in his chest and heard Yi Cheong-un's mocking voice in mental clarity.

[Then until it shatters!]

Yi Cheong-un's form had already vanished, visible only as a beam of light.

Absolute acceleration impossible for humans!

Kwarungwang!

Light split into countless branches, battering the White Lotus Cult Leader's body. The Cult Leader somehow blocked it using the Primordial Spirit, avoiding major damage, but that didn't mean he held the advantage. It meant he could only focus on defense, as any slightest mistake would mean instant death.

‘Lightning...!’

He desperately unleashed the ultimate arts of the Four Great Martial Styles to counter Yi Cheong-un, but it only looked like flailing wildly in the air. The techniques were too fast for offense or defense to even establish.

Yi Cheong-un's mocking voice echoed repeatedly.

[You use everything. How the hell did you master all the Four Great Martial Styles' ultimate arts?]

[Th...]

[Ah, shut up! You can't keep up with this speed anyway, so talk is cheap.]

The White Lotus Cult Leader tried to retort, but the next instant, a Thunder God Style fist flew in with sub-light speed, smashing his jaw.

Ppeok!

"Urk."

Wiing!

The White Lotus Cult Leader reeled greatly but soon braced himself, erecting a maximum defensive barrier around his body. As he fully committed to defense, Yi Cheong-un didn't press immediately, but the next moment, Yi Cheong-un casually kicked Dokgo Jun's body into the air like a ball and said,

"I'll kill this guy."

The White Lotus Cult Leader was shocked. Dokgo Jun as a hostage?

If Dokgo Jun died, the Water God Style's future would be uncertain. Growing urgently, the White Lotus Cult Leader shouted,

[Kill him, and I won't show even a shred of mercy. Yi Cheong-un! Know that I'll exterminate the entire Thunder God Style!]

"Huh?"

[Let's end this here with our duel.]

At those words, Yi Cheong-un's eyes gleamed.

‘The Cult Leader still has reserves.’

Though Yi Cheong-un appeared to be overwhelmingly dominating now, he instinctively sensed it. The Cult Leader still held a trump card. Lacking confidence to break through it yet, Yi Cheong-un was probing in various ways.

Could he truly pierce the Cult Leader's ace and seize victory in a moment of carelessness?

It would be difficult, but Yi Cheong-un decided to trust in his own abilities. The Cult Leader's unyielding determination also frowned at him inwardly, so he nodded.

"Fine."

[Good choice. I'll keep my promise too.]

"Haha! Save that for when you win!"

Hwiik!

While he hesitated, Yi Cheong-un tossed Dokgo Jun toward the White Lotus Cult Leader like trash. Then the battle resumed. Yi Cheong-un with supreme energy and counterattacked. Yi Cheong-un, but Yi Cheong-un was lightning fast and uncatchable. By the time Taiji and the Cult Leader's Primordial Spirit struck, he had already taken five hits.

Kwarung

The Thunder God Soul unleashed repeatedly, completely sealing the Cult Leader's movements.

[Ughhh...!!]

As thunderbolts raged like a storm, the White Lotus Cult Leader couldn't move at all, barely managing to block the indiscriminate thunderbolts flying from all directions. Every single move was a secret art of the Thunder God Style, carrying terrifying power.

The duel dynamic was clear.

Yi Cheong-un unilaterally battering in the form of the Thunder God, while the Cult Leader desperately held out with the Primordial Spirit. Yi Cheong-un's energy was unending, and no one knew which would fall tired first. Even the Cult Leader frequently staggered, veins bulging whenever thunder grazed him.

‘Monster.’

While fighting, Yi Cheong-un surmised that without the Thunder God Soul, he couldn't have opposed the Cult Leader. Thanks to the Thunder God Soul's super-acceleration, he ignored all defense, concentrating all power to shatter his dantian with maximum momentum. It simply variations the Cult Leader used. The Cult Leader seemed to have integrated the Four Great Martial Styles.

How long did the fight continue?

It ended just after passing one thousand five hundred exchanges.

[The weakness is this!]

Kwarung

The blood-soaked White Lotus Cult Leader persistently blocked Yi Cheong-un's attacks, then suddenly roared and unleashed a single palm strike. Yi Cheong-un, who had been flashing like lightning, was abruptly struck and sent flying back.

Cough!!

The Thunder God Soul energy wavering around Yi Cheong-un's body cracked and subsided. He gasped heavily, not having enough power to shatter his dantian with one blow. Panting from exhaustion, the White Lotus Cult Leader finally spoke.

[The gap I saw in the manual... I finally figured it out and exploited it.]

"Urk... You bastard... You obtained the ultimate secret art's incantation..."

As Yi Cheong-un twitched in a pool of blood, the White Lotus Cult Leader laughed.

[Heh heh heh... Did you think I didn't anticipate something like this? You were stronger than expected, Yi Cheong-un, but I obtained that incantation in advance and studied it for months. That's why I called you here—with certainty of victory.]

Yi Cheong-un ground his teeth. Emptiness and betrayal boiled in his heart.

"Who... who the hell..."

[Who knows.]

The White Lotus Cult Leader walked over leisurely, laughing. He picked up his severed arm and reattached it to his body. It adhered as if it were the most natural thing. His body was no longer human.

[Do you think I held the advantage over one? I just didn't use the incomplete Heart Heaven Infinite because Heart Heaven Infinite could have seized the momentum faster. I simply wanted to crush the Thunder God Style's ultimate secret art with my own power.]

[Now, die—]

Pung!

[Urk.]

A sudden thunderbolt flashed, and the Cult Leader staggered. Yi Cheong-un had mustered the last of the Thunder God Soul's power to wound him. The Cult Leader fainted momentarily, and Yi Cheong-un, spitting his teeth, burst out of the building. The Cult Leader roared lion-like at the fleeing Yi Cheong-un.

[Flee all you want—it's over now!]

No, it's not over.

As long as the Thunder God Style's ultimate secret art exists, you can never destroy the Thunder God Style.

I'll survive to the end.

With that resolve, Yi Cheong-un headed to Lee Gwang. Seeing the blood-drenched Yi Cheong-un, Lee Gwang was extremely shocked in shock.

"M-Master?!"

Yi Cheong-un looked down at him coldly and raised his hand.

By rights, he should execute him.

In the current situation, Lee Gwang might be the traitor. But he quickly calmed, withdrawing his killing intent in a split second.

...Let it go.

Even if Lee Gwang had leaked the ultimate secret art's manual, Yi Cheong-un couldn't take his life with his own hands. That was the bond he held for his disciple. Moreover, the possibility that someone else had leaked it was considerable. Instead, he sighed regretfully.

"...Assemble the Thunder God Style."

"Yes?"

"Immediately become the master and lead the people... Escape from the White Lotus Cult... Everyone in the White Lotus Cult is the enemy..."

Thud.

"Master!!"

With Lee Gwang's scream, Yi Cheong-un lost consciousness. His dantian completely shattered, rendering the Heavenly Spirit Pill useless; he was barely clinging to life. Normally, a shattered dantian meant instant death, but thanks to the Heavenly Spirit Pill, he became a vegetable sustained only by breath.

Listening to Yi Cheong-un's tale, I realized the pieces I hadn't known were falling satisfyingly into place.

‘After that, it's as you know. I was pursued by the Wind God Style afterward and died when my energy ran out. No matter how much one possesses the Heavenly Spirit Pill, a shattered dantian means death...’

Under the flickering light of the tunnel, Yi Cheong-un let out a short sigh.

"Hoo... Misfortune or fortune? The Thunder God Style somehow survived afterward. And the ultimate secret art, it's in the hands..."

I pondered deeply before speaking.

"The reason the Cult Leader spared the Thunder God Style—was it for that?"

"Most likely."

Yi Cheong-un leaned against the wall and continued.

"He figured out that the Thunder God Style didn't fully mastered the ultimate secret art yet. So he might have waited until my disciple Lee Gwang cultivated enough to reach the stage of practicing the ultimate secret art. Also, whether coincidence or not, the Young Cult Leader falling into that strange plague clearly delayed the attack on the Thunder God Style."

"Even so, waiting over fifty years..."

"If needed, he could wait even longer. That man is a great ambitious with immense patience."

Listening to the story, I could hardly believe it.

By Yi Cheong-un's account, the man before me was a superhuman on par with the Cult Leader. Though the Cult Leader had yielded one move, it was a fact that he had been continuously pushed into defense. Doubting intensely, I asked Yi Cheong-un.

"Um... What exactly is the Thunder God Soul? How could it corner the Cult Leader like that?"

"Hmm. Well... I'll explain simply. You can't learn it, but you should at least grasp the concept."

Yi Cheong-un slowly drew a Bagua on the ground. Then he said,

"The Yi is interpreted in three ways: the Immutable, the Simple, and the Changing. Do you know these meanings?"

"The Immutable means nothing in the world's principles cannot be explained by the Supreme Ultimate. The Simple means any worldly phenomenon can be easily explained by yin and yang. And the Changing means all things in the world ceaselessly transform according to principle, and this process of change is cyclical."

I answered without hesitation. I had studied Daoism for over three years under Mang-gyang in the past and continued afterward.

"You know it well."

Nodding, Yi Cheong-un continued.

"Incorporating this hexagram into human martial arts is the Thunder God Soul."

"Yes? Is that possible?"

I had to ask in bewilderment. The 64 hexagrams were originally just figures used for divination. Daoists spent lifetimes researching them to grasp principles, but they were absolutely unsuitable for the changes in actual combat martial arts. Yi Cheong-un chuckled.

"In this world, it isn't the only thing that can move a cartwheel. Once you understand that the world consists of countless forces, qualities, and primal elements beyond qi, more paths become visible. The clash of qi and intent is merely the basics. Ultimately, it's colliding with the world itself to impose your will."

"The Thunder God Soul is adopting one of those myriad Bagua forms. That's why, even as the ultimate secret art, it isn't so simple."

I didn't understand. As I sat silently, Yi Cheong-un tossed aside the stick and said,

"When I obtained the Heavenly Spirit Pill in the state of the Thunder God Soul, I never dreamed of losing. Infinite inner energy would sustain the Thunder God Soul indefinitely, so I thought victory certain. Indeed, I easily crushed Dokgo Jun."

"Is that so..."

Who else but Yi Cheong-un could speak so casually of crushing Dokgo Jun, the strongest Guardian Beast and peerless master? Yi Cheong-un was undoubtedly a beyond-heaven tier expert.

"Well, my miscalculation was that the Cult Leader's Primordial Spirit had reached a realm equal to the Thunder God Soul. To defeat the current Cult Leader, one must surpass the Thunder God Soul by a step."

It was an impossibly distant goal. As I shook my head, Yi Cheong-un stared piercingly at me and said,

"So, you disrupt the Cult Leader."

"Yes?"

"The Cult Leader hasn't fully grasped the essence of Jang Sam-bong's Seven Great Absolute Arts yet. Even after ending his seclusion, he'll obviously ask you all sorts of things."

From Yi Cheong-un's grinning words, I understood what I had to do next.

"So if you mix in some appropriately harsh words from now on, the Cult Leader will self-destruct."

"Ah...!!"

I see!

Since I had revived Yi Cheong-un with the power of reversal, the White Lotus Cult Leader had to be dealt with through proper means eventually. But passing on the Seven Great Absolute Arts completely would give him wings, so to prevent that, I needed to confuse his insights and make him fall into qi deviation.

Yi Cheong-un dusted himself off and stood.

"Then take me to the Azure Dragon Martial Hall. I'll prepare everything to crush the White Lotus Cult Leader."

"Ah... Understood."

Hearing that, an inexplicable relief welled up in my heart.

He didn't look that fierce, but the man before me possessed schemes rivaling Lee Gwang's and tremendous martial arts. With him joining, the future developments would change greatly!

But the Zhuge advisor sneered.

[You still don't get it. Idiot...]

[What?]

[Never mind. You'll realize it someday.]

Why is this guy spouting nonsense out of nowhere?

As I growled inwardly, the Zhuge advisor added,

[Just escort Yi Cheong-un and hurry back. Any later, and you'll arouse the Cult Leader's suspicions.]

Talking with the Zhuge advisor always put me on edge, irritating me.

I was planning to do that anyway.

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