The Black Snake (10)
“Ugh….”
Jeon Myeong-hoon could not comprehend his current situation at all. He stared blankly into the void and muttered, “Why…?”
‘I… am a pill?’
He had heard rumors that alchemical pills required the extraction of a living being’s vital force to accumulate potency, and that Geum So-hae had used humans as raw material for Core Formation pills. He remembered her words when discussing the process: “Of course, only those with exceptional aptitude can reach Core Formation without a pill, and very few people actually consume one.”
He also recalled Geum So-hae saying that because the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect was filled with talents, no one would need such pills. He had always thought he would never consume a savage pill like that. Now he was one. The thought was absurd. He scanned his surroundings. This was the interior of the prison cell where his master, Geum Jin-chan, had locked him away. The final words still echoed in his mind: “In thirteen hours, when the alchemist has fully matured all the supporting materials, the process of refining you into the Heavenly Golden Thunder Pill will begin. Prepare your mind until then.”
Jeon Myeong-hoon still could not believe it. “I… am going to die here like this? After ten years of enduring only the Seven Stars Ceremony like a dog?”
He felt wronged. He felt furious. But what terrified him most was the certainty of his fate. “Damn it… I’m really going to die like this?”
Jeon Myeong-hoon sat with his head in his hands, his expression rigid. The short hair he had grown in the past ten years slid through his fingers. “Damn… why… why like this…?”
Just as despair was about to swallow him whole, a section of the wall behind him suddenly crumbled away. At the same moment, Geum So-hae stepped out from inside the cell. “…!”
Jeon Myeong-hoon shot to his feet in shock. Geum So-hae scowled and pressed a finger to her lips. “Shh! Be quiet! How did you even get here without the guards noticing? Just be silent and come this way.”
Jeon Myeong-hoon swallowed hard. Even a fool would realize this was their only chance. He crept toward her. “So-hae, I…”
“I came to rescue you. Please be quiet and come over here.”
Not long after, the prison cell was completely empty. Geum Jin-chan walked in, glancing at the now-vacant stone wall. “Hmph, So-hae took care of it well.”
From behind him, Hong Su-ryeong appeared and said, “The Supreme Sect Master is ready to begin the next phase.”
“Very well. Release the sect-wide array the moment the fugitive escapes. After that, activate the array on him.”
“Of course.”
Geum Jin-chan nodded, gave the empty wall one last glance, and stepped out of the prison. Just before leaving, he stole a quick glance at Hong Su-ryeong’s face and asked, “By the way, Senior Hong, your complexion has been rather poor lately. Is something the matter?”
“Hmph, you’ve heard the boring truth.”
“The boring truth? I heard rumors that there’s no rivalry between you and Elder Seo. Could it be that something is wrong with his foundation?”
“Shut your mouth before you slice off your own foundation.”
“Heh heh…”
Hong Su-ryeong’s single venomous remark sent Geum Jin-chan into a fit of dry coughing as he hastily left the prison. Inside the cell, Hong Su-ryeong stared at the empty void for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. “What on earth were you, Patriarch? What have your descendants become…?”
“So-hae, I’m really grateful. Thank you so much!”
The moment they emerged from the prison building, Jeon Myeong-hoon wiped sweat from his brow and thanked Geum So-hae again. She sighed softly and replied, “It’s nothing. The elders and sect masters are all in a meeting with the alchemist right now. Since this is such a grand pill, even the Supreme Sect Master is helping. That’s why the elders have a gap for about one hour…”
She led him to the area where the flight talismans were stored. The escape peak of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect was crowded with bat-shaped flight talismans. Geum So-hae infused her power into a small ship-shaped vessel capable of carrying five hundred disciples at once. “Get on. It’s a long-distance flight talisman. Thanks to the flight technique embedded in it, we can cover thousands of li without a problem. Get on and leave Noeryeong Island.”
“…Thank you. But… aren’t you coming with me?”
“I’ll stay behind and tell the sect master you’re hiding near the sect. That should buy us some time.”
Jeon Myeong-hoon looked at her and asked, “So-hae… why are you helping me so much?”
“…You don’t need to know. It’s noisy. Hurry and get on.”
Geum So-hae pushed him onto the ship with an exasperated expression. Since the Core Formation early-stage Geum So-hae had decided to take him, Jeon Myeong-hoon had no choice but to climb aboard. “Wait, I don’t know how to pilot it…”
Just then, a massive shadow rose behind him. “You… Hongbeom?”
A giant black centipede. It was Hongbeom. Jeon Myeong-hoon’s eyes widened as he sensed the overwhelming spiritual energy and consciousness. “Wait… you’ve already reached Core Formation?!”
“Even so, I’m still only at Core Formation early stage like Miss So-hae. If Myeong-hoon-nim hadn’t endured the Heavenly Tribulation during the Seven Stars Ceremony, I would have long since been surpassed by him.”
“You really have monstrous talent. Anyway, why are you here?”
“I’ve come to pilot the ship for you.”
“You… can you pilot flight talismans? How?”
“My master taught me.”
“Haa…”
Jeon Myeong-hoon almost blurted out in surprise before a doubt struck him. “Wait, if you’re a spirit beast under the elders, then you should be loyal to your master. If you move with me…”
He eyed Hongbeom suspiciously. Hongbeom began to explain calmly. “My master fully supports Myeong-hoon-nim’s escape. He never wanted a pill because the Heavenly Golden Thunder Body would have endured even a slight Heavenly Tribulation. Several elders of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect hold the same view.”
“What…!”
“You don’t have to run forever. Myeong-hoon-nim only needs to hide for a few weeks. Afterward, the elders and senior brothers who support him will come to rescue him.”
Only then did Jeon Myeong-hoon lower his suspicions. “…I’m sorry for doubting you. And thank you.”
“It was merely an order from the elders.”
Hongbeom shrank his massive body, took the ship’s controls, and said, “Then, Myeong-hoon.”
Geum So-hae crossed her arms and looked at him. “Stay healthy.”
“…Thank you, So-hae.”
He clenched his lips. ‘I feel ashamed of myself.’
Until now, he had always regarded Geum So-hae as a target for conquest or a future romantic rival, and he had been flirting with her at every opportunity. But at this moment, he made a silent vow. ‘If I safely escape the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and return here alive, then I will only look at So-hae from now on.’
Under Hongbeom’s control, the ship soared into the sky. Beneath the countless stars of the Guanghan Realm, the vessel glided smoothly past the sect’s protective array. Jeon Myeong-hoon glanced back one last time and thought, ‘I’ll definitely come back!’
Geum So-hae, watching from the escape peak, waved at the departing ship. A sigh escaped her lips. “Hah… that idiot…”
She had grown close to him over the past ten years, but she had never seen him as a romantic interest. To her, he was simply a troublesome younger brother who needed protection. “By the way, why isn’t the sect-wide array activating even though we left on a flight talisman? Ugh…”
She clicked her tongue as she watched the distant ship. At that moment, a man in white robes landed beside her. “Please do not interrogate me, young lady.”
“Huh? Elder Seo?”
She blushed and looked at the newcomer—Seo Eun-hyun. ‘Even the auntie Hongbeom was envious. I could never become a pair with a man like Myeong-hoon. It has to be someone like Elder Seo.’
Seo Eun-hyun smiled as he watched the ship disappear. “Now that Myeong-hoon has left, shall we activate the array?”
“Yes. I’ll go deliver the message to the Supreme Sect Master.”
Geum So-hae soared toward the Golden Thunder Hall using flight talismans. Seo Eun-hyun stood on the escape peak and smiled softly. ‘You really are blessed, Myeong-hoon.’
Wheee—
Jeon Myeong-hoon sighed as he stared at the night sky. “Damn it…”
Everything he had assumed would be perfect had fallen apart. Ten years felt far too short. He had screamed at the heavens day and night for ten years, yet heaven had never granted him its permission. His hope of forming a dual cultivation pair with Geum So-hae had been cruelly shattered. The sect elders had gradually lost interest in him once they realized he could not overcome the Heavenly Tribulation. Especially Geum Byeok-ho, whose temper was explosive, had publicly berated him. “I heard Seo Eun-hyun pierced the Tribulation in no time. Why can’t you?”
“Why not? You’re a Heavenly Golden Thunder Body! It’s absurd that you can’t do what Seo Eun-hyun can!”
“We both could use Core Formation-grade techniques at the Qi Condensation sixth stage! Why can’t you?!”
“Damn it! Stealing time from such a talent! What a waste! Aaaaaah!”
The worst memory of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect was the day he had directly compared himself to Seo Eun-hyun and unleashed his fury. “Damn it…”
Thinking of Geum Byeok-ho made Jeon Myeong-hoon feel as though even the few good memories he had of the sect were slipping away. “…If it weren’t for you, So-hae, and a few friends, I would have left this sect long ago. Just staying behind to suffer was pointless. From the Supreme Sect Master all the way down, everyone only ever showed me disgust and contempt.”
Jeon Myeong-hoon watched Hongbeom, who had shrunk to human size, pilot the ship. Hongbeom answered indifferently. “The opposite of affection is not anger and hatred, but indifference. The anger shown toward you proves that the elders did not want to let you go.”
“Hmph, hilarious. The anger was so strong at first that they eventually gave up on me altogether. My own master didn’t even look for me for years until the pill story came out. Now he only comes when it’s convenient to lock me in a cell…”
Krrruuung!
The moment he exploded with rage toward Hongbeom, a colossal thunder roared behind them. Jeon Myeong-hoon whipped around in shock. Something pitch-black like lightning chased them through the clouds. “H-Hongbeom!”
“I’m ascending. Hold on tight.”
Booooom!
Hongbeom moved the controls, and the ship climbed. Puff!
The vessel pierced through the clouds. The pitch-black thing chasing them rose into the sky as well. Kugugugu!
“Ah, Ma-Master…?”
It was the giant form of Geum Jin-chan. Kwajijijik!
The pitch-black lightning gathered into a colossal body. It looked as if a storm of lightning had become a giant! “H-Hongbeom! M-Master is chasing us!”
“Do not worry. I sense no Heavenly Person level power. It seems he has separated his consciousness and sent the technique as a clone.”
“W-What level is residual Heavenly Person power?! Can you handle it?”
“In short, residual Heavenly Person power in the middle of Core Formation is around the Integration Grand Completion stage.”
Hongbeom spoke calmly. “Of course I’d turn into fried Hongbeom if I faced him.”
At the same time, Geum Jin-chan’s clone reached out a finger toward the ship. Kugugugu!
The colossal thunder energy surged toward them. Kwarurung!
The clouds tore apart as a storm raged across the region. Jeon Myeong-hoon screamed and gripped the rail. “Hyaaaaah! R-Run! Please!”
“Yes!”
Booooom!
The ship’s speed increased. Yet Geum Jin-chan’s clone continued to pursue them at the same terrifying pace. Krung, krung, krurung!
“Hyaaaaah!”
Jeon Myeong-hoon trembled violently, gripping the rail as lightning lines shot toward them. Urrung!
One of the lightning lines fell toward Jeon Myeong-hoon. He screamed, “Hyaaaaah! Save me…?”
Pajik, pajijik…
Surprisingly painless, Jeon Myeong-hoon blinked in confusion. The lightning line naturally absorbed into his body. He watched the lightning inside him transform into law power and let out a delighted sigh. “Hoo… this is…”
Hongbeom spoke. “Myeong-hoon-nim, even if you’re immune to lightning, the ship isn’t. If this happens again, run to the rear and block the clone’s attacks with your Intimidating Thunder Power.”
“U-Understood!”
Jeon Myeong-hoon’s confident smile grew as he realized the small lightning line had no major effect. He dashed to the rear and lifted his Intimidating Thunder Power. At the same time, the rage inside his chest began to boil. Pajijijik!
Red lightning swirled around him. “Taaaah!”
When he formed his seal, the red lightning clashed with the remnants of the lightning chasing the ship. All of Geum Jin-chan’s clone’s small lightning remnants were canceled out by Jeon Myeong-hoon’s Intimidating Thunder Power and dissipated. Even so, the clone’s power was Core Formation Integration Grand Completion level, while Jeon Myeong-hoon was only Qi Condensation sixth stage. Kwadzizizik!
“Kuk…”
Jeon Myeong-hoon’s law power was instantly drained. He gritted his teeth and reached out. “Come!”
Kwadzizizik!
One of the lightning lines from the clone struck the ship directly, but the ship remained unharmed. Jeon Myeong-hoon’s hand was outstretched. The lightning inside it was being sucked in. Pajijijik!
His law power recovered instantly. He spewed endless red lightning. Kururung!
Annoyed that Jeon Myeong-hoon kept blocking his attacks, Geum Jin-chan’s clone sped up even further. “Myeong-hoon-nim, increase speed! Do not release your Intimidating Thunder Power even for a moment!”
“O-Of course!”
Piiiiiiit!
The ship was engulfed in light as Jeon Myeong-hoon charged forward through a blazing trail. ‘Damn it, I feel nauseous.’
But he never released the Intimidating Thunder Power. The clone was getting closer. The giant face of the colossal lightning was only three zhang away, shooting lightning at them. Kwadzizizik!
Jeon Myeong-hoon continued to absorb and release lightning endlessly. It looked as though red lightning was erupting from the rear of a rapidly moving ship. “Kuuugh! Damn it! Let me be, Master! Hongbeom, how much longer like this?!”
“We’ll reach the Noeryeong Island barrier soon. Once we cross it, the clone will have a harder time pursuing us!”
“Got it!”
Kwadzizizik!
Jeon Myeong-hoon gritted his teeth, feeling as though he would vomit from maintaining the Intimidating Thunder Power. ‘Finally…!’
He noticed the ship was nearing the edge of Noeryeong Island. A bright light shone in his eyes. Just crossing the veil beyond would be the end. “Hold on just a little longer!”
“Yes…!”
“Nnnnnn!!!”
Kurururung!
At the edge of Noeryeong Island, another giant lightning figure appeared. “Where do you think you’re going?!”
It was the form of Jeon Hui, the deputy sect master. “You dare flee after leaving the sect!”
Kwarururung!
A colossal bolt of falling thunder descended. “Myeong-hoon-nim!”
Hongbeom’s urgent voice rang out. Jeon Myeong-hoon barely blocked the oncoming lightning. ‘My body is going to explode!’
Jeon Myeong-hoon’s flesh had absorbed the lightning and converted it into power, but it was still not enough. Injecting lightning beyond his limit could cause his law power to surge and explode. He felt his dantian about to burst. ‘Dying like this… is…’
At that moment, Hongbeom’s voice boomed in his mind. “Release! You must constantly release power while operating the Intimidating Thunder Power!”
“…!”
Jeon Myeong-hoon gritted his teeth and obeyed. Red lightning erupted from his entire body. “Hyaaaaah!”
A colossal lightning figure burst from his body. The entire region was engulfed in red lightning as the ship carrying Hongbeom and Jeon Myeong-hoon escaped. “Continue operating the Intimidating Thunder Power! Do not stop! Geum Jin-chan-nim is still chasing us!”
“O-Of course!”
Jeon Myeong-hoon’s face was pale with panic. He fired lightning from the rear while trembling, chasing away Geum Jin-chan. “The barrier around Noeryeong Island has weak points in the east, south, west, and north. We need to exit through one of them. We were blocked in the east by Deputy Sect Master Jin-hui earlier, so this time we’ll head north to escape the island! We’ll move faster, so hold on just a little longer!”
“Yes…!”
Krung, kururung!
At the eastern edge of Noeryeong Island where Jeon Myeong-hoon had escaped, a massive pile of red lightning he had released still remained. It looked as though someone had deliberately caught the lightning. From above the lightning, Jin-hui’s clone formed a seal. “Gakhangjeobangsimmigi.”
Kugugugu!
At the same time, the lightning Jeon Myeong-hoon had released turned into a red pillar and struck the eastern edge of Noeryeong Island. From the red pillar, a faint red trail stretched northward where Jeon Myeong-hoon had fled. * * *
Northern edge. “You! Jeon Myeong-hoon! Why do you flee after abandoning the sect?!”
“Damn it! You were the ones who wanted to make me into a pill!”
Jeon Myeong-hoon shouted at the elder blocking him. Kwarururung!
Another colossal bolt shot toward him and sent him flying. “If the sect master decided it, you must accept it!”
“That’s nonsense!”
Kwadzizizik!
Jeon Myeong-hoon swallowed the lightning until his stomach would burst, then released it through the Intimidating Thunder Power as Hongbeom had instructed. “Myeong-hoon-nim, the northern edge is also blocked. Let’s head west!”
“Yes!”
Hongbeom steered the ship. The elder’s clone at the northern edge gathered the red lightning Jeon Myeong-hoon had released into a red pillar. Kuwoong!
The red pillar was driven into the northern edge of Noeryeong Island. At the same time, the red trail that had started from the eastern edge arrived at the pillar. “Duueheoribeolbyeok.”
When the elder guarding the north recited the incantation, the red trail from the east connected to the pillar. The elder reached out, and an even denser red trail extended from the northern pillar, leading directly to the place where Jeon Myeong-hoon had fled while using the Intimidating Thunder Power. * * *
The western edge was the same. “Damn it! Hongbeom, all of east, north, and west are blocked!!”
Jeon Myeong-hoon cursed and fired the lightning shot by the elder guarding the west into the Intimidating Thunder Power, then shouted at Hongbeom. “I’m sorry… I’ll only go south for now!”
“Don’t lie! It’s obvious the south will also be blocked! Think of another escape route…”
Kwarururung!
The moment Jeon Myeong-hoon tried to head somewhere else, Geum Jin-chan began firing law techniques of various attributes at him instead of thunder. Jeon Myeong-hoon shouted in panic, “Go! Anywhere! Anywhere!!!”
The ship steered by Hongbeom turned southward. Geum Jin-chan, chasing them, nodded at the elder guarding the west. Booooom!
The red trail from the north reached the west. “Gyuruyumopijacham.”
Kugugugu!
A red pillar formed at the western edge and was driven into the ground. From the western pillar, a completely different level of red light ray shot out and chased them. * * *
“…Hey, Hongbeom.”
“Yes, Myeong-hoon-nim.”
“What else is chasing us besides your master’s clone?”
Jeon Myeong-hoon asked Hongbeom with a bad feeling. The clone of Geum Jin-chan was right behind them, and behind the clone, a red “trail” had formed, pursuing the ship. Hongbeom glanced back. “It’s a dragon vein. Do not worry. Techniques that manipulate the dragon vein require an extremely long preparation period. Unless it’s a Four Pillars sage who is extremely proficient in dragon veins, it cannot do anything in a short time.”
“But that dragon vein is chasing us! What’s going on?!”
“Umm, I don’t know that either…”
“Damn it! I’m going to become a pill! Do something!!”
Jeon Myeong-hoon screamed in terror at Hongbeom, but Hongbeom calmly continued piloting the ship. Finally, the ship reached the southern edge of Noeryeong Island. Jeon Myeong-hoon’s face was completely despairing. Southern edge. Geum Jin-chan’s true form waited there. “Myeong-hoon, where are you running to?”
Before Jeon Myeong-hoon could speak, a colossal falling thunder struck him. Kururung!
It was like a pillar of light. Jeon Myeong-hoon barely endured by absorbing the lightning until his stomach would burst and releasing it again through the Intimidating Thunder Power. “Why are you fleeing the sect?”
“I-I-I…”
Jeon Myeong-hoon’s eyes filled with blood. How many times had he absorbed lightning and converted it to power? He looked like a red lightning spirit. “I don’t want to d-die…”
Kwarururung!
Jeon Myeong-hoon’s red lightning pushed aside Geum Jin-chan’s thunder. Geum Jin-chan reached out to the red lightning. The lightning Jeon Myeong-hoon had released was drawn into Geum Jin-chan’s hand. Geum Jin-chan shaped it into a pillar and asked, “If I wasn’t trying to kill you, would you have remained in the sect?”
For some reason, a trace of guilt appeared on Geum Jin-chan’s face, but Jeon Myeong-hoon, whose eyes were half-swollen, shouted, “Of course I’ll escape this dog-like sect immediately! For ten years you ignored me, despised me, treated me like a talent! Even if you weren’t trying to kill me, I never wanted to stay here…”
Kwadzizizik!
Jeon Myeong-hoon spat out red lightning in rage. “There is nothing left!!!”
Kururung!
At the same time, the red dragon vein trail that had been following him finally reached the bottom of Geum Jin-chan. Geum Jin-chan drove the red pillar into the ground. “…Hongbeom, return to the sect.”
“Yes.”
Under Geum Jin-chan’s command, Hongbeom turned the ship. Astonished by how natural the movement was, Jeon Myeong-hoon shouted, “Wait! What are you doing, Hongbeom?!”
Booooooom!
Hongbeom piloted the ship in silence. Suddenly, the lightning speed carried Geum Jin-chan down beside him. Jeon Myeong-hoon’s pupils trembled. “M-Master…!”
“…Myeong-hoon.”
Geum Jin-chan grabbed his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’ve been away for a while.”
“…Huh?”
Kugugugugu!
Red dragon veins boiled on the ground. But they were not ordinary dragon veins. They were thunder. And thunder Jeon Myeong-hoon himself knew all too well. It was the thunder he himself had released through the Intimidating Thunder Power! “W-What is this…?”
Jeon Myeong-hoon fell into confusion as he realized the power he himself had emitted. The entire Noeryeong Island seemed to be boiling with his own power. Geum Jin-chan scratched his cheek apologetically and began to explain. “For the past ten years, I had the entire Noeryeong Island under construction.”
His explanation began. * * *
I sat on the escape peak waiting for Myeong-hoon to return. Hong Su-ryeong had manipulated the sect-wide array so that the lightning Jeon Myeong-hoon had released was drawn to the main branch of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect. At the highest peak of the Bongroedang, Geum Byeok-ho personally assisted in the ceremony. During the ceremony, the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect became one colossal altar for an instant. “You have been blessed, Myeong-hoon. From the Supreme Sect Master of the sect all the way down to every senior brother and fellow disciple, everyone has spent ten years conducting construction on the entire Noeryeong Island and laying out formations to create the foundation for the Seven Stars Ceremony for you alone.”
Today was the day Myeong-hoon would complete the Seven Stars Ceremony. I stared at the night sky. This plan had originated from me. It had begun when Cheongmun Ryeong had drawn the dragon vein to make the Longevity Fruit. ‘The Heavenly Tribulation must be pierced with only one’s own power.’
Then what was the range of that “own power”? Is holding a flight talisman and shooting into the sky also one’s own power? If I made a product flight talisman that even a Qi Condensation sixth stage person could use, would that count as one’s own power? ‘Considering all the cases of me, Kim Yeon, and Oh Hyun-seok…’
Simply using a product flight talisman to push through the Heavenly Tribulation had not worked. Just as Kim Yeon had overcome the Tribulation by directly controlling puppets herself, overcoming the Heavenly Tribulation with an ordinary flight talisman was impossible. If that had been possible, Cheongmun Ryeong would not have had to ask the flight talisman master Gongmyo Cheonsaek to create the talisman for me at that time. The key point was that only a technique containing one’s own will and vital force could overcome the Heavenly Tribulation. That was why I had planned this complex and enormous plan. Kugugugugu!
Beyond the red dragon vein, the lightning Jeon Myeong-hoon had released from all directions gradually amplified, amplifying his own spiritual energy. And high above, the ship carrying Jeon Myeong-hoon arrived at the Bongroedang. ‘After amplifying Jeon Myeong-hoon’s own spiritual energy with the dragon vein and gathering it on the altar, release it into the sky with his own will.’
That way the Heavenly Tribulation would be pierced. ‘To create that formation, countless elders of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect had spent ten years combing through every corner of Noeryeong Island.’
The formation’s role was to amplify Jeon Myeong-hoon’s spiritual energy and to assist in controlling the immense power when he wielded it. ‘He clearly could not control such a colossal force.’
All the formation masters of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect had been mobilized. For one single person. “Everyone has such great will… even for one disciple.”
I murmured while watching Jeon Myeong-hoon descend to the Bongroedang. Even if I had not been present in that loop, the Myeong-hoon of that time would surely have been helped by the elders mobilizing their power however they could. “If it were for the reincarnation of the Heavenly Golden Thunder Body and Yang Su-jin, Geumsinja, we could have done anything.”
Hong Su-ryeong, who had approached me, spoke. “Why did you come?”
“I came to protect the law enforcer.”
She crossed her arms. “You’re trying to enter the middle stage of Nascent Soul, aren’t you?”
“…You’ve noticed.”
“Everyone is focused only on Myeong-hoon, but since you’re one of the few dual cultivation partners for him, I’m looking out for you. Cherish it and form the Yin-Yang pair without worry.”
“Thank you.”
“…So that’s how it was.”
Jeon Myeong-hoon finally understood after hearing Geum Jin-chan’s explanation. ‘It wasn’t indifference.’
“Come here, Myeong-hoon.”
Geum Byeok-ho beckoned him. At the top of the Bongroedang, the altar for the Seven Stars Ceremony stood ready. ‘Everyone… did this for me…’
“From now on, we begin the Seven Stars Ceremony. Which star will you meditate on?”
“…I have weak talent.”
‘You prepared this for so long. Everyone…’
“Cheong-won Seven Stars… I will meditate on you.”
‘You were thinking of me.’
A massive ten-year construction project. A plan only for Jeon Myeong-hoon that he alone had not known. The Seven Stars Ceremony began. Jeon Myeong-hoon paid respects to Cheong-won Seven Stars, the star representing the east and wood. Just before the starlight of heaven descended, Kugugugugu!
Thick clouds covered the sky. At the same time, Kugugugugu!
The red dragon veins that had spread across the entire Noeryeong Island rose to the Bongroedang. Seo Eun-hyun’s mouth had been empty; the elders and formation masters of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect had materialized, completing the plan that had been built upon by all. Cheongmun Ryeong and Seo Eun-hyun could not have attempted this on Earth, where spiritual energy was scarce, but in the Guanghan Realm, where spiritual energy overflowed, it was possible. They had brutally drawn the spiritual energy of the entire Noeryeong Island and amplified one human’s law power. Then refined through the formation, leaving only the pure “Jeon Myeong-hoon” nature from the amplified law power. After refinement, the remaining energy was so weak it was less than one ten-millionth of the originally amplified energy. But if the formation’s size reached the entire Noeryeong Island, even a level that weak would easily surpass Core Formation!
Jeon Myeong-hoon pulled the “own power” swirling around him into his body. After circulating it once inside, he released it toward the sky. Kwarururung!
Jeon Myeong-hoon’s Intimidating Thunder Power did not reach the sky. Its momentum weakened midway. But he kept absorbing the infinite power around him. ‘It’s on a completely different level from simply absorbing lightning and converting it to law power!’
The consumption of power during lightning conversion was almost nonexistent! Jeon Myeong-hoon continued to pour infinite power into the sky and released the lightning. The dimmed momentum of the Intimidating Thunder Power amplified infinitely, and the red lightning line gradually rose toward the sky. Finally, at the edge of the Bongroedang, Jeon Myeong-hoon shouted with all his strength toward the sky. “Heaven!!!”
Kwarurururung!
Red lightning tore through the clouds of heaven, creating a path between stars and humans. Jeon Myeong-hoon reached out toward the sky and drew down the heavenly and earthly spiritual energy. Thus, Jeon Myeong-hoon successfully completed the Seven Stars Ceremony and entered the seventh stage of Qi Condensation. * * *
Krung, kururung!
In a corner of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect. While everyone’s attention was on the Heavenly Golden Thunder Body Jeon Myeong-hoon, someone was attempting to advance to the middle stage of Nascent Soul. It was Seo Eun-hyun. Kurururung!
The sky flickered as a double-colored heavenly thunder descended. Seo Eun-hyun closed his eyes and operated the Thunder Dao Technique. Kugugugugu!
From the Nascent Soul realm onward, all sages endured the Heavenly Tribulation. Advancing from Core Formation to Nascent Soul required one line of lightning. Advancing from early Nascent Soul to middle stage required two lines of lightning. The double-colored heavenly thunder struck Seo Eun-hyun’s body. But Seo Eun-hyun, who perceived the lightning with his own body, remained unharmed. Kururung!
The second Heavenly Tribulation that struck in the middle stage of Nascent Soul dropped even fiercer lightning lines. Kwadzizizik!
Seo Eun-hyun endured the second Heavenly Tribulation. It was like a pillar of light striking him! Inside the pillar of light, Seo Eun-hyun closed his eyes and observed his inner world. * * *
In only ten years, how could a talent like me master over nine thousand techniques of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect? It was thanks to the curse I received from the owner of the Heavenly Thunder Banner that I gained knowledge and talent regarding lightning, but there was another reason. ‘The nine thousand plus techniques of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect were originally all one.’
As I gradually mastered the techniques, I discovered that the “connected” clauses among the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect’s technique summaries existed. When I had mastered forty or so techniques to the second and third stages, I could discern the “original text” of those “connected” clauses. I already knew the original text of that clause. I had known the original text since before, and because I could understand its meaning and integrate it into the Thunder Dao Technique, I could master all nine thousand plus Thunder Dao Techniques in a short time!
And the original texts of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect’s techniques were as follows. “First Article. All beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Beings are endowed with reason and emotion by heaven and must act with awareness of equality with one another. Second Article. All beings possess the right to enjoy all rights and freedoms prescribed by this declaration without any discrimination based on race, color, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. No one may be subjected to any form of oppression or slavery.”
“Third Article. All beings have the right to life, liberty, and security of person. Fourth Article…”
This was not exactly a “technique summary” but a kind of incantation chanted during the ceremony. And I already knew the original text of this “incantation.” ‘World Human Rights Declaration…’
I simply changed the words of the World Human Rights Declaration I had seen on Earth to fit this world and infused the sentences with talismanic power so that they would possess “power.” That was the clause that appeared when I mastered all the techniques of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect. Pajijijik!
I recited the first to twenty-ninth articles of the clause in my mind and operated my law power according to the talismanic power and force contained in the clause. Just as I already knew the World Human Rights Declaration and possessed understanding of the lightning laws due to the curse bestowed by the owner of the Heavenly Thunder Banner, I had successfully mastered all nine thousand plus techniques within ten years. ‘Yang Su-jin really is a person from the same world as me.’
Now I was certain. The certainty that Yang Su-jin, the Terminus Ones, and the beings of Earth were from the same world. Pajijijik!
When I recited the first to twenty-ninth articles of the clause, I realized the power of the lightning had reached its limit. And in an instant, Pwoong!
The power of the lightning that had reached its limit shattered the Heavenly Tribulation pressing upon me! Uuuuung!
At the same time, the blocked cultivation exploded like a raging river. My Nascent Soul, which had been emitting a faint blue light, split in half. The remaining half began to turn red. A line formed from my brow, dividing the Yin God’s domain from another Nascent Soul, the Yang God’s domain. ‘Finally…’
I had successfully created the complete Yin-Yang God. But I gritted my teeth against the subsequent storm of backlash. The clause formed by combining over nine thousand Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect techniques clearly maximized the power of the heavenly thunder in an instant. Thanks to that, I had amplified the lightning power flowing in my body and reached the middle stage of Nascent Soul. But after the lightning truly reached its limit…
Pijijijik…
The lightning swirling around me gradually dimmed. The lightning power that had filled my dantian gradually became viscous, then dispersed into colorless form. Soon, I had completely changed into the state I was in before mastering the Thunder Dao Technique. The “power” of my dantian was still the middle stage of Nascent Soul. The cultivation I had accumulated through the Thunder Dao Technique remained. But after merging the clause of the nine thousand plus techniques, the lightning attribute of the Thunder Dao Technique had become completely attribute-less and could no longer be found. That was right. I had successfully entered the middle stage of Nascent Soul by merging all the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect techniques and using their power. But the technique that had merged the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect techniques could no longer be called a technique of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect. “I congratulate you on entering the middle stage of Nascent Soul.”
Hong Su-ryeong clicked her tongue regretfully and said, “However… choosing to chant a clause that completely abandons the benefits of the Thunder Dao Technique and simply turns it into ordinary spiritual energy… Why? Myeong-hoon also succeeded in the Seven Stars Ceremony, and if he had only reached the Nascent Soul stage, the technique conflicts could have been resolved…”
“Well, it’s not as if the cultivation fell.”
I smiled nonchalantly. “Since this has happened, let us study this nameless clause further.”
“What else is there to study? The reason the past sect masters hid it is obvious. It’s a stupid technique that makes you unable to handle the lightning attribute if you master it.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“What do you mean ‘true’? You stupid fool! Fine, I’m going to congratulate Myeong-hoon, so think carefully about what you’ve accomplished here.”
Hong Su-ryeong, apparently dissatisfied that I had lost the Thunder Dao Technique, flew away to the Bongroedang where Myeong-hoon was, blowing through the air. But I sat quietly and pondered this nameless clause. ‘It’s almost certainly the clause left by Yang Su-jin.’
Moreover, it was a technique clause created based on the World Human Rights Declaration. There had to be something to it. As someone who had already faced Yang Su-jin’s arrangement twice, mastering this technique clause was not a choice but a necessity. I operated the nameless clause that had lost all attributes from the beginning again. ‘Hmm, is there any change?’
But using the law power of attribute-less nature brought no change. The speed of accumulating law power was also extremely slow. ‘Is this clause even a real technique?’
As I thought that, I recited the final twenty-ninth article of the clause. Suddenly, I felt something was odd. ‘The World Human Rights Declaration consists of thirty articles…’
The nameless clause that had plagiarized the World Human Rights Declaration and attached one article as the first section only had twenty-nine articles. I recalled the last article of the World Human Rights Declaration in my mind. “No provision of this declaration shall be interpreted as granting any state, group, or person the right to engage in or perform any activity aimed at destroying any rights and freedoms prescribed by this declaration.”
In short, the clause that prohibited maliciously interpreting the World Human Rights Declaration. When I recalled the final article, Uuuuung!
“…!”
At the same time as my soul, the nameless clause suddenly began to move of its own accord. ‘W-What is this…!’
Even if I tried to do something, it remained motionless. The attribute-less law power moved like a raging river and filled my entire body. The attribute-less law power flowed into my upper dantian, then from the upper dantian to the middle dantian, from the middle dantian to the lower dantian. It madly surged inside the golden core and into the Nascent Soul within. And at that moment, Paaaaaah!
I suddenly realized I had entered a strange space. ‘This place is…’
Chrrurururuk!
It was dark. Deep, deep darkness. And cold. It felt exactly like the moment I had met [that] at the lowest level of Bongmyeong-ju in the past. I was tense as I looked around. “Later generation?”
“…!”
Suddenly, someone’s voice spoke directly to me. “You are…!”
I flinched as I looked ahead, then looked down cautiously and asked, “Are you… Yang Su-jin?”
“Yes. You asked if I was later generation.”
“Yes… I entered the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect…”
“If you were not a Terminus One, you could never have entered here. Stop pretending.”
I looked at the being in front of me and asked Yang Su-jin cautiously, “…When all the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect techniques are merged, the clause that appears is…”
“Yes, you would know that.”
“…”
“The important thing is not that. The reason I asked the master of the Netherworld to create a place for later generations at the bottom of the Netherworld where no light enters and left my consciousness is something you should hear.”
I raised my tension. “First, I will warn you before we begin.”
The founding ancestor of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect. The one who stole the Heavenly Thunder Banner from the owner of the Heavenly Thunder Banner. The existence who stirred up countless storms, Yang Su-jin—our conversation began. “Be careful of [light]. That person is wandering around you, at any time, any place, however they choose. In a way you could never have imagined, according to the will of the Emperor.”