The Realm of No Enlightenment
The Thunderbolt Saber Technique!
It was like a crimson thunderbolt smashing the earth itself. Ordinary martial artists often sacrificed speed when wielding heavy weapons, or compromised power when unleashing swift techniques. That was simply the limit of the human body and the common sense of martial arts. Yet the Thunderbolt Saber Technique rejected such petty compromises outright. This was the brutal saber art that drove the true weight of heavenly lightning straight into the enemy. In the instant that lightning flashed, the entire landscape would be crushed to pieces.
Crackle-crackle-crackle—!!!
“Take this!”
Heo Chang-baek swung his great saber, wreathed in dark-red lightning, straight down toward Do Gwang’s head.
Do Gwang met the strike head-on.
‘Oh…’
He was genuinely impressed. Not a trace of fear or tension showed on his face—only pure joy and exhilaration.
‘This is it!’
Yes. This was martial arts. This was the murim.
Flash—!!!
Azure qi erupted explosively from Do Gwang’s body. He swung his heavy steel bat without the slightest hesitation.
BOOOOOOM—!!!
The collision between saber and mace produced a deafening roar that seemed to tear the ears apart. The entire clearing shook as if struck by an earthquake, the ground splitting with jagged cracks.
“Aaaagh—!”
“Huuuuurgh—!”
The Paedo Sect members already sprawled on the ground were sent tumbling and bouncing even farther in complete disarray.
Moreover—
Whoosh—!!!
A blinding flash of black, red, and blue light ripped through the air. The spectacle was nothing short of majestic and utterly destructive.
###
Swish…
As the dust settled, the two figures stood revealed. Saber and steel bat pressed fiercely against each other, neither yielding an inch.
The first to withdraw his weapon was Heo Chang-baek, the Paedo Sect Master.
“Huuuh…!”
He could only shake his head in disbelief.
“You’re truly something else…”
Shock filled the eyes of the Saber King who had spent his life roaming the jianghu. After all, even though he had unleashed his ultimate technique with full sincerity, Do Gwang’s body remained completely unscathed.
‘The only one who could ever take my Thunderbolt Saber Technique head-on was that Saber Star…’
Once a target, now someone he had given up chasing. Only that star could withstand his ultimate art directly. Yet this Do Gwang, who looked barely of age, had done the same. The shock was immense.
“This is truly absurd…”
Heo Chang-baek let out a hollow, bitter laugh. It wasn’t merely because his technique had been blocked.
“Just who the hell are you…?”
That was the real question. The very existence of the man called Do Gwang standing before him.
Do Gwang tilted his head for a moment, then smirked.
“Ah, right. We never even introduced ourselves, did we?”
“Haha…”
Heo Chang-baek burst into incredulous laughter.
“That’s not what I meant.”
He scanned Do Gwang from head to toe with a gaze that said he could hardly believe what he was seeing, then turned to the frozen Gwon Tae-o.
“Great Elder. Your guess was completely wrong.”
“Yes… it seems so…”
Gwon Tae-o nodded in agreement. He had never imagined Do Gwang would take the Thunderbolt Saber Technique head-on. Yet the man had blocked it without a single scratch and showed no signs of internal injury whatsoever.
“…This fellow must be at the Star Realm.”
Gwon Tae-o had no choice but to reach that conclusion.
At those confident words—
“Huuuuh…!”
“Huuuup…!”
The Paedo Sect members gasped. They whispered among themselves in shock.
“The Star Realm—does he mean one of the Five Great Stars of the world!?”
“That’s impossible…! That guy— no, that man—doesn’t even look twenty yet!?”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Was this the birth of a Sixth Star instead of the Five?
Everyone could only gape in astonishment.
Just then—
“Keu-ka-ka-ka-kat!!!”
Heo Chang-baek clutched his belly and roared with laughter.
“The Star Realm, you say?”
He was even wiping away tears.
“Great Elder, what nonsense are you spouting?”
“Pardon? Sect Master, what do you mean? He blocked the Thunderbolt Saber Technique so easily—surely that’s only natural?”
At Gwon Tae-o’s bewildered question—
“Keu-ka-ka-ka-kat!!!!”
Heo Chang-baek burst into even louder laughter. Then his expression turned serious as he lowered his voice.
“Great Elder.”
“Yes, Sect Master.”
“This brat’s realm…”
“Yes. His realm…”
Gulp…!
Gwon Tae-o swallowed hard, tension written across his face. Surely he meant something beyond the Star Realm, beyond the Profound Realm!?
But Heo Chang-baek’s next words shattered that expectation.
“He hasn’t even reached the Profound Realm.”
The statement was nothing short of shocking.
###
“…What? What do you mean…?”
Gwon Tae-o’s face twisted.
Not even the Profound Realm? Then was he saying this monster was merely at the same Transcendent Peak level as himself?
“That can’t be right! There’s no way that monster is only at Transcendent Peak like me…!”
Before Gwon Tae-o could finish venting his frustration—
“Not even Transcendent Peak.”
Heo Chang-baek shook his head.
“…What?”
Not only Gwon Tae-o but every Paedo Sect member stood with mouths agape. They were utterly dumbfounded.
What in the world was he talking about!? Hadn’t the man blocked the Thunderbolt Saber Technique with ease!?
Paying no mind to their confusion, Heo Chang-baek rested his chin on his hand and stared at Do Gwang while muttering.
“Not Peak Realm either… First-class… Hmm… Doesn’t seem to be that either…”
“What on earth are you saying!?”
Gwon Tae-o’s voice rose with veins bulging.
“The shock of having your ultimate technique blocked must be great, but we are the Paedo Sect!”
He struck his own chest and raised his voice further.
He understood the Sect Master’s desire to deny reality. But—
“You mustn’t belittle an opponent’s martial prowess like that!!!”
That was right. One had to know how to acknowledge an opponent! How could the Paedo Sect Master—the man among men, the ultimate manly man—resort to such pathetic excuses?
Disappointment toward his lord filled Gwon Tae-o’s face.
Heo Chang-baek shot back in an exasperated tone.
“What are you even talking about? When did I belittle this monster?”
“Didn’t you just claim Mad Young Master’s realm was only first-class?”
“Ah. I must have phrased it in a way that invited misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding…?”
As Gwon Tae-o stared blankly—
“This brat…”
Heo Chang-baek gestured toward Do Gwang with his chin and continued.
“He has no enlightenment in martial arts. He doesn’t even understand it.”
!!!???
The declaration was utterly shocking. Everyone doubted their own ears.
This guy had no enlightenment in martial arts? What did that even mean!?
“It’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth. His strength aside, when it comes to the realm of martial arts, he’s below first-class.”
“Th-that’s…”
As Gwon Tae-o’s lips trembled and he struggled to speak—
“Hehe…”
Dang Soryeong let out a chilling laugh and stepped forward.
“How dare you insult my lord.”
She leveled a throwing knife at Heo Chang-baek’s head, her voice icy.
“It seems you’ve already developed dementia. I suppose I’ll have to open your skull to check.”
Following that spine-chilling declaration—
“Kyahaha~~”
A bright, cheerful laugh rang out.
“I want to do it too! I want to open it!”
Do Hwa’s clear eyes sparkled as she gripped her daggers tightly.
At that—
“Wh-what are you opening…!?”
“Th-these crazy bitches!”
The Paedo Sect members cried out in horror and drew their weapons.
Then—
“Keu-ka-ka-kat!!!”
Heo Chang-baek waved his hand to stop his disciples.
“Enough. I have no desire to have my skull opened as these young ladies suggest.”
“Sect Master, what are you…!?”
“Don’t pick a fight with Mad Young Master’s companions. Haven’t you realized it yet?”
Heo Chang-baek scratched his chin and added,
“He may not even be first-class, but he blocked my ultimate technique with ease. So why provoke him unnecessarily?”
At their Sect Master’s words—
“????”
“????”
The Paedo Sect members couldn’t wipe the confusion from their faces. After all, just as Heo Chang-baek said, Do Gwang had casually blocked the Thunderbolt Saber Technique. Yet he also claimed the man’s realm wasn’t even Transcendent Peak, Peak Realm, or first-class? Which rhythm were they supposed to dance to!?
Everyone’s heads were spinning.
Meanwhile—
“Hmm… So that’s how it is…?”
Do Gwang nodded.
“Uncle Gamble can see it after all.”
He genuinely admired Heo Chang-baek’s insight. As expected of one of the Twenty Great Kings—an absolute master. He had seen straight through Do Gwang’s true nature.
‘Well, of course.’
It was only natural that Do Gwang had no enlightenment. He was a modern person. And he hadn’t been transmigrated for long. How could someone like him possess any understanding or enlightenment regarding martial arts? Naturally, he wasn’t at the Star Realm or even the Profound Realm that one reached through enlightenment. In fact, as Heo Chang-baek said, he barely qualified as a first-class martial artist.
But—
“Still, I don’t care about realms or whatever.”
That was right. Do Gwang had no need to pay the slightest attention to such martial arts common sense. His body contained so many overpowered passive traits that even he couldn’t remember them all. He could just swing everything with the power of those traits!
Of course, Heo Chang-baek had no way of knowing that.
Therefore—
“Keu-ka-ka-ka-kat!!!”
He burst into hearty laughter, genuinely delighted.
“Right, you wouldn’t care. That’s exactly why you’re so impressive and monstrous! Keu-ka-ka-kat!!!”
He couldn’t stop laughing. The very existence of this madman who shattered common sense was simply too fascinating.
“Well then, I’ve shown you my ultimate technique as you wished. So what now? You don’t seem to be looking for a life-or-death duel… Shall we head back for a drink?”
Heo Chang-baek slung his saber over his shoulder and asked. He had taken a genuine liking to Do Gwang and wanted to get closer. Though he couldn’t recruit someone who swung a steel bat instead of a saber, he could at least treat him as an honored guest. They could return, share a drink, and grow closer—that was his thought as he turned away.
But—
“Hey… Uncle.”
Do Gwang tapped his steel bat on the ground to stop him.
“It’d be a shame if we left like this.”
“A shame? What do you mean?”
Heo Chang-baek turned back with a questioning look.
“Uncle, you’ve still got energy left, right?”
“Of course I do, but…”
An ominous premonition flashed through Heo Chang-baek’s mind at the sudden question.
And such premonitions were never wrong.
Do Gwang had already adjusted his grip on the steel bat long ago.
“Then this time, you take it.”
He wanted to fight again.
At that—
“What…? W-wait…!”
Before Heo Chang-baek could even open his mouth in panic—
Flash—!!!
Dark-red energy began to rise from Do Gwang’s body like heat haze.
“N-no… What is this…?”
Heo Chang-baek’s eyes bulged. When he had blocked the Thunderbolt Saber Technique earlier, it hadn’t been pure Taoist energy. So why was he now circulating the Paedo Sect’s own heart method, the Infinite Saber Heart Method?
‘And that stance…’
Wasn’t that the exact stance he had just used!?
As if to further amplify Heo Chang-baek’s bewilderment—
Do Gwang raised his steel bat toward the sky. And wrapped around that mace—
Crackle-crackle—!
Dark-red lightning coiled savagely.
Crackle-crackle—!
Crackle-crackle-crackle—!
That lightning was even deeper and more vivid in its dark-red hue than what Heo Chang-baek had displayed.
“Aaaagh!!”
“Kuaaagh!!”
The Paedo Sect members were once again sent sprawling and scrambling backward under the sheer destructive pressure. Those poor bastards! They had already lost count of how many times they’d been rolling around today.
Meanwhile, Heo Chang-baek was the one who had to take that absurd strike head-on.
“Th-this fucking…!?”
Profanity burst from his mouth. He was certain. This crazy bastard was trying to replicate the Thunderbolt Saber Technique with his steel bat. The man who had just been using clear, pure Taoist energy was now not only copying the completely opposite Infinite Saber Heart Method but also attempting to execute saber techniques with a mace. None of it made sense. But one thing was crystal clear.
If he messed up even slightly, he might actually die.
“H-hey. Are you trying to kill me? I did unleash the Thunderbolt Saber Technique at you in earnest, but that was because I believed you’d block it…!”
“Ah, don’t worry.”
Do Gwang answered in a reassuring tone.
“I’m holding back.”
“Holding back…?”
This…?
“You can block this much, right?”
Grin.
“I believe in you too, Uncle.”
Do Gwang’s face was bright and innocent.
And—
“Huuuh…”
Heo Chang-baek’s face twisted.
He wanted to ask if he was really supposed to block this, but the brat was clearly serious about bringing that bat down.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and get ready.”
Crackle-crackle—!
“Maintaining this is annoying.”
“…Keu-ka-ka-kat!!”
Heo Chang-baek finally burst into laughter and firmly gripped his saber.
“Fine, pour everything you’ve got! But go easy on me if you can! I’ve got a lot of disciples to look after!”
He shouted boldly, drawing up all his inner energy. Facing this was even more spine-chilling than when he had confronted the Saber Star in the past. Yet for some reason, his chest burned with heat—he wanted to clash his saber against that steel bat. It was almost a shame that the weapon in his hands was a regular heavy saber rather than the Heavenly Thunder Famous Saber back at the sect.
Bang—!
The moment Heo Chang-baek finished his preparations, stomping his foot—
Grin—
Do Gwang curled his lips and shouted.
“Here I come!”
The lightning-wreathed steel bat slammed down mercilessly toward the saber.
BOOOOOOM—!!
A thunderous roar tore through the earth as if lightning had struck.
Crackle-crackle! Rumble-rumble—!!
Scarlet lightning raged like a storm, swallowing everything around them.
That day, a massive crater formed outside Chengdu, as if a meteor had fallen. Yet, miraculously—
“I paid special attention. Didn’t want Uncle Gamble to get hurt too badly!”
Thanks to Do Gwang holding back—
“Haha… Feels like every part of my body’s broken… Cough…!”
And thanks to Heo Chang-baek desperately blocking with everything he had, half-buried in the ground—
“Kek-kek…!”
“Kuuuuurgh…”
Some disciples rolled and fainted, but miraculously, not a single life was lost.
“Kyahaha~~ Daddy’s amazing!”
“Hehe… As expected of my lord.”
“Y-you two, when did you get behind me… Cough…!”
Do Hwa and Dang Soryeong had used Gwon Tae-o as a shield and remained perfectly fine.
“Still feels a bit lacking…”
Do Gwang clicked his tongue in disappointment.
“Uncle Gamble probably can’t handle another round, right?”
“…What do you mean…?”
“I want to do it one more time!”
“Haha… I’ll treat you properly as an honored guest, so spare me. Didn’t I say I have many disciples to look after…”
“Sigh… Can’t be helped… I, with my excellent self-control, must endure.”
“…Cough…! Yes, thank you very much…”
That day, the Saber King could only think—
‘Martial arts realms and all that…’
Maybe they didn’t mean anything at all.