Lightning Upon the Ghost Gate
Yang Jeong, who had been about to quickly name a suitable price in response to his brother’s request at the Ghost Gate, snapped his mouth shut at the completely unexpected answer.
“You’re serious?”
“Yes. In more ways than one, I’ve learned a few things from you as well, so let’s call it even.”
“Even… I don’t know what that means, but I suppose it amounts to the same thing?”
“I won’t forget this debt.”
Namgung Woo had already seen more than enough of their martial arts. In his mind he recalled the mnemonics for Thousand-Mile Stride and Heavenly Wind Divine Movement, then began circulating the Thunder Emperor Divine Art through the six leg channels of his lower body.
“Then I’ll head off first.”
Lightning qi poured down the leg channels and gathered at the Yongquan point. A thunderous roar split the air as his figure shot forward like a bolt.
The Yang brothers stared blankly as Namgung Woo’s back rapidly shrank into the distance, using the Heavenly Wind Divine Movement to launch himself and the Thousand-Mile Stride to race ahead. Only after two full breaths did they snap back to their senses and sprint after him.
How is he handling lightning qi like that…
“Crazy! He’s way too fast…!”
The Yang brothers chased desperately, burning the image of how he manipulated lightning qi into their retinas while pouring every ounce of their internal energy into their lower bodies.
Meanwhile, Namgung Woo expanded his qi perception and closely observed the situation unfolding far ahead. For some reason the number of ghost apparitions in the area had shrunk dramatically, so there was no longer any need to worry about the Yang brothers. From what he could deduce, it seemed the entities had pulled back to block the vanguard that had already reached the Ghost Gate.
They’ll catch at least one of them.
The two colossal masses of sinister energy that had been standing motionless like guardians of the Ghost Gate. The auras of Paeng Mu-ho and Paeng Ha-ryeong that Namgung Woo remembered were now clashing fiercely against them.
Still, facing one alone will be difficult.
Namgung Woo glanced back. The Blue Serene All-Seeing Eyes did not widen his field of vision. Though his eyesight was excellent, detecting the blind spot behind his head was impossible. His qi perception told him the brothers were following safely, yet because his superhuman senses had not yet become habit, Namgung Woo unconsciously confirmed their presence with his own eyes.
Impressive. They’re copying it right away, even if it’s clumsy.
This was how lightning qi should be handled. After he had shown them the manual, the two brothers were desperately trying to imitate the method and graft it onto their own leg channels. Despite the risk of tripping over their own feet, they were somehow keeping up.
I can push the speed a little higher.
Namgung Woo drew one more strand of energy from his lower dantian and sent it flowing into his leg channels. He arrived at exactly the right moment—right as Paeng Ha-ryeong and Paeng Mu-ho barely finished felling one of the sinister masses, and just before the remaining one could unleash its vengeful malice upon them.
Namgung Woo landed in front of the Ghost Gate.
BOOM!
Instead of drawing the sword at his waist, Namgung Woo thrust out his fist. A single punch met the attack of something shaped like the ghost apparitions yet possessing an entirely different level of power. The fist qi of the Explosive Thunder Divine Fist’s ultimate technique, Descending Thunder Cannon, blasted the entity backward.
The recoil traveled up his arm in tingling waves. A smile bloomed on Namgung Woo’s lips. This was it. This rebound force. Even with imperfect posture, the creature had endured lightning qi infused with the Thunder Emperor Divine Art.
“You are…?”
Paeng Mu-ho, who still looked relatively composed, let out a stunned murmur at the intruder who had dropped from the sky.
Namgung Woo did not turn around. Instead he drew his sword and stepped forward.
“Watch out!”
The instant Paeng Mu-ho shouted, an invisible slash flew toward Namgung Woo.
Kiiiiing!
The moment Namgung Woo’s sword, wrapped in sword qi, blocked the slash, a ghastly wail erupted. Astonishingly, the giant ghost apparition’s strike—seemingly an enlarged version of the original—did not shatter against the sword qi and continued pressing down on him.
Even so, this much was not enough to force Namgung Woo backward.
“Hup!”
Employing the Infinite Step’s footwork that incorporated the Thousand-Pound Anchor technique, Namgung Woo detonated his sword qi.
KWAAAA—!
The formless slash disintegrated alongside the explosion of sword qi. At the same time, a sinister current brushed across Namgung Woo’s clothes. Though they had only exchanged a single move, Namgung Woo instinctively understood. This yokai had already surpassed the Peak Realm. The raw energy it contained was greater than that of Paeng Mu-ho or Hwang Mu-tak, and the slash that had endured sword qi carried enough force to sever a Peak Realm expert.
“Young man! That is not an opponent you can face alone! We must wait for the Jegal Family Head and the warriors of our Paeng Family to assemble!”
Paeng Mu-ho shouted as he forced himself to his feet. His internal energy was nearly spent, yet he still had enough strength left to swing his blade once or twice more. From the earlier sword strike, this youth was at least a fully matured Peak Realm expert on par with Paeng Ha-ryeong. More importantly, regardless of his martial strength, the fact that he possessed secrets neither Paeng Mu-ho nor Paeng Ha-ryeong had uncovered made him someone who must be protected.
He’s not a rejuvenated expert…
Paeng Mu-ho knew what a rejuvenated supreme expert looked like—he had seen one with his own eyes. Those who had undergone such a transformation always left traces. No matter how youthful the body became, the mind remained old and seasoned, leaving an indelible aura of age that could not be hidden. Yet Namgung Woo displayed none of those signs. On the contrary, look at that blazing fighting spirit! How could that be a rejuvenated old master? He was simply a hot-blooded young martial artist who had just stepped into the kangho.
“It’s fine. I can handle it alone.”
Namgung Woo firmly refused Paeng Mu-ho’s offer to join the fight. Since he had yet to meet a worthy opponent, he slowly recalled the sword forms he had kept stored only in his heart and assumed a stance.
The Iron Sword Ten Forms won’t do. This time, let’s try a higher-level sword art.
Namgung Woo knew many sword styles. If he ignored the concept befitting the Namgung Family, he could wield more than ten different sword arts. But for this battle, the choice had already been made.
Thirteen Lightning Sword Forms.
A sword art so perfectly harmonious with the Thunder Emperor Divine Art that they could be called a matched pair. The reason he had primarily used the lower dantian’s Thunder Emperor Divine Art instead of the middle dantian’s Blue Sky Divine Art until now had been groundwork for unleashing this very technique.
The sword art Namgung Woo had relied on most in Chukrok Murim now gained new life in the real world, blooming once more in his hands.
Lightning fell from a dry sky.
By the time the Yang brothers reached the Ghost Gate—now transformed into a battlefield—Namgung Woo had already unleashed Drought Thunder Fall and three additional sword forms. The brothers, chests heaving with ragged breaths, barely managed to swallow the screams that nearly escaped when they saw who he was fighting.
“Form-Stealing Ghost Delusion…! Young Hero! That is on an entirely different level from ordinary ghost apparitions! You must retreat at once!”
The one who answered Yang Jeong’s urgent cry was not Namgung Woo, but the man standing behind him as if guarding someone.
“Mountain Wolf Twin Blades, you two followed after all?”
The hope in Paeng Mu-ho’s voice vanished the moment he saw their exhausted state.
“Hey! Little brother! That’s a superior specimen of the ghost apparitions! It grew by devouring real human flesh and souls! No matter how strong you are, that thing is dangerous!!”
“The lowest rank is blue. Stronger ones are even classified as black… so why is something red-grade appearing here…”
The Yang brothers muttered as if their souls had half-departed from their bodies. Their combined assault could rival a Peak Realm expert, yet there was a vast gulf between fighting humans and confronting inhuman monsters. Creatures that suffered no damage unless struck by sword qi were a wall that mere technique could never overcome.
“Young Hero! You must fall back!”
“That’s right, little brother! I know you’re far stronger than we realized, but that thing is truly perilous! Let’s retreat for now. Once the Paeng Family experts gather, then we fight!”
Namgung Woo gave no verbal reply, yet his ears caught every word.
So that’s how it is.
This was a blue-grade monster. Then what would the white and black Ghost Gates—said to be even stronger—be like? Perhaps he himself had not come through a Ghost Gate like the others?
Now that he had room to breathe, idle thoughts crept in again. It was slightly regrettable, but it would be best to end things here. He had roughly finished confirming what he wanted to know. Unleashing all thirteen forms of the Thirteen Lightning Sword Forms here seemed excessive. What mattered now was concluding this battle without casualties and examining the Ghost Gate properly.
In that case, sword qi alone won’t be enough.
Having once again confirmed the creature’s formidable defense that could even deflect sword-qi strikes, Namgung Woo retreated using the Infinite Step’s backward footwork. He adjusted his grip, moving from one hand to two.
He consciously summoned the internal energy he had previously drawn according to mood and flow. In answer to its master’s call, the majestic power sleeping in his dantian responded.
Woooong—
The sword began to hum. Listening to the familiar ring, he poured his soaring spirit fully into the blade.
In the next instant, lightning that should have existed in the sky above descended to the earth from the tip of Namgung Woo’s fingers.
Over the inexplicable phenomenon of a blue-grade Soul-Stealing Ghost Delusion emerging from a red Ghost Gate, a new impossibility was being layered.
“That is……”