Chapter 275: Dream (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 275: Dream (4)
The Hebei Peng Clan’s Primordial Unity Thunderbolt Divine Art was a supreme technique that, for generations, only the Family Head and their chosen successor were permitted to learn.
Its counterpart, the Primordial Unity Thunderbolt Blade, was a technique of such fierce and overwhelming power that few in the Central Plains could rival it.
Above all, it boasted the words "Primordial Unity" and "Thunderbolt"!
Throw "Divine Art" into the mix, and the name contained three of the most awe-inspiring terms imaginable. One wouldn't even need to see it in action to grasp its might—or so one would think.
"This is honestly ridiculous."
Seo-jun watched the Primordial Unity Thunderbolt Blade unfold before his eyes. Transparent red Astral Qi tore roughly through the air.
At a glance, it resembled a tiger.
It seemed to share a lineage with the Five Tiger Broken Gate Blade, one of the Peng Clan’s famous techniques.
It was certainly a remarkable martial art, undeniably one of the best in the Central Plains, and its power was truly formidable.
Yes, it was impressive, but…
"I mean, there’s no Primordial Unity, and there’s no Thunderbolt."
It was the Primordial Unity (Not really) Thunderbolt (Not really) Divine Art (This part, at least, was accurate).
When Seo-jun stared at Peng Geuk-jin with a blank expression, the man let out a boisterous laugh.
"A martial art as wild as the lightning that embraced all creation at the dawn of time! That is the Primordial Unity Thunderbolt Divine Art!"
"I’m asking why it’s called that when there’s no Primordial Unity and no Thunderbolt."
"That is…!"
"That is?"
"It means it embodies that stature!"
This was truly absurd.
"If the 24-Move Plum Blossom Sword Technique didn't have plum blossoms, it wouldn't be the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, right?"
"Correct!"
"Then shouldn't the Primordial Unity Thunderbolt Divine Art not be called that either?"
"That’s different!"
"…I really don't get you."
As Seo-jun shrugged, Peng Geuk-jin leveled his blade.
"How can one know the essence of a martial art just by looking? An exchange between martial artists is a clash of technique against technique!"
"Oh… you actually know how to say things like that?"
"I just memorized the line!"
"Aha."
Sensing the mood, Seo-jun also drew his sword.
"Hahaha! I knew I liked you!"
Boom—!
Peng Geuk-jin instantly kicked off the ground and charged.
Watching this, the Emperor chuckled and gathered the liquor bottles Seo-jun had set out earlier.
"If you’re going to do this, take it up high."
Swish—!
The Emperor flicked his sleeve. The hidden spatial pocket within gaped open, shooting out two spears.
They weren't ordinary spears; both were Divine Weapons of considerable rank.
Kboom—!
Seo-jun and Peng Geuk-jin each parried one of the flying spears, using the explosive momentum to soar high into the sky.
Watching the two figures ascend in an instant, Pae Jin-gwang clicked his tongue.
"Those ignorant fools. They can't go a single day without a scrap."
"Forget them. It’s your turn."
"Wait, when did you set this up again…?"
Hwangbo Ryung, who had already reset the mahjong tiles, looked at Pae Jin-gwang with dead-serious eyes.
Originally, mahjong was a game for four, but there was nothing stopping three or even two people from playing.
The rules changed, of course, but the man sitting here was the Hwangbo Clan Leader, Hwangbo Ryung.
"Prepare yourself, Fist King. I shall show you the skill of the Mahjong King."
"When the hell did you get a title like that?"
"It’s a title older than 'Fighting King.'"
"Ridiculous."
And so, the mahjong game began.
Meanwhile, Seo-jun and Peng Geuk-jin clashed sword and blade, holding back their strength appropriately.
K-BOOOOOOM─────────!!
Even though they were merely exchanging light blows, the space in the sky began to distort.
He’s definitely strong, but…
Seo-jun deflected the blade swinging down at him. Shhh-ing! As he pushed against the flat of the blade, its force spilled harmlessly into the empty air.
Boom—!
"Haha!"
Peng Geuk-jin laughed heartily and lunged. Even though his posture had been disrupted by the deflection, his body pounced with the terrifying elasticity of a tiger, making him a deadly threat in his own right.
Crash—!
Peng Geuk-jin’s body was, quite literally, a weapon.
Unlike Pae Jin-gwang, his physique was a refined balance of internal and external martial arts—impenetrably sturdy yet explosively agile.
Whoosh—!
The back of a hand cut through the air. Seo-jun ducked to avoid it and quickly retreated. Bang—! Peng Geuk-jin’s foot struck the empty space where Seo-jun’s face had been a moment ago, sounding like a bomb going off.
"I still don't see it, no matter how much I look."
"Then look closer!"
Wooooom—!
A powerful wave of energy leaked from Peng Geuk-jin’s entire body. A transparent red light began to glow around him.
It was Protective Astral Qi that seemed to become one with his very flesh.
As Seo-jun observed this with interest, Peng Geuk-jin raised his blade high and brought it down in a massive vertical strike.
CRAAAAACK───────!!
Space was violently torn along the trajectory of the blade.
Seo-jun didn't retreat. Instead, he channeled the realization he had gained from his encounter with the Alliance Leader into his sword.
Whoosh—!
Blue Qi swirled like a galaxy, and standing at its center, Seo-jun swung his sword upward with all his might.
K-BOOOOOOM────────!!
The very atmosphere shook. The blue void that humans called the sky billowed like ocean waves before being torn asunder.
In the midst of it, Seo-jun saw it.
The chaotically fluctuating space began to collapse. It traced jagged trajectories, feeling as if the world itself was pouring down upon him.
"Aha?"
Raising an eyebrow, Seo-jun flicked his finger. Snap—! The ripple, spreading faster than sound itself, instantly calmed the turbulent space.
"So that’s why it’s called Primordial Unity Thunderbolt."
The term Primordial Unity carried the meaning of heaven and earth, or the universe.
While it might not be a true "Primordial Unity," the Peng Clan’s technique collapsed heaven and earth, pouring the fractured space onto the opponent like a thunderbolt.
I feel like this would really suit the Green Forest guys.
Both the Peng Clan’s martial arts and their people gave off that exact vibe.
Wasn't the Hebei Peng Clan essentially just the Green Forest if they had successfully integrated into polite society?
While Seo-jun was having such rude thoughts, Peng Geuk-jin asked with his jaw hanging open.
"Wh-wha…?"
"What?"
Peng Geuk-jin opened and closed his mouth before finally managing to speak.
"What was that just now!"
No matter how much he had adjusted his strength, that last strike was the absolute essence of the Primordial Unity Thunderbolt Divine Art.
He could understand the blade being parried.
Even if the Evil-Annihilating Heavenly Lord was a young Transcendent Realm master, everyone in the Central Plains knew of his outstanding abilities.
Since Peng hadn't used his full power, it wasn't strange at all for his blade to be met.
Of course, that sword technique that seemed to draw a galaxy was surprising, but that wasn't what mattered right now.
"How did you do that!"
The heaven and earth that poured down after the fierce strike.
That wasn't so much a function of the Divine Art itself as it was literally the result of collapsing space.
It was like chopping the base of a tree to make it fall, and then using the falling tree to crush the enemy.
But to calm that collapsing space with a single gesture?
It was as if half of the Primordial Unity Thunderbolt Divine Art had been sealed away entirely.
"This?"
Seo-jun flicked his finger once more. Snap—! The Qi wave spreading with the clear sound tapped against the space.
Peng Geuk-jin could only gape in a daze.
That seemingly insignificant gesture. The resonance derived from it was what brought the fractured space to heel.
In a way, wasn't that the ultimate height of the Primordial Unity Thunderbolt Divine Art?
"You!"
"Yes?"
"Become Peng Seo-jun!"
"What?"
* * *
The sky was a complete mess.
The place where the Transcendent Realm martial artists had gathered was near the Murim Alliance—specifically, the northern bank of the Yellow River that cuts through Henan.
With two Transcendent masters making such a thunderous racket, how could the helpless commoners below not tremble in fear?
The representative of those commoners—the descendant of the Martial God who once ruled a unified Central Plains, the master of the Imperial Palace, Ju Won-jang—sighed deeply as he ascended into the sky.
"What are you doing to cause such a commotion?"
Before Ju Won-jang’s eyes lay the distorted space of the sky, warped and fractured at will.
"What is this?"
Space was broken and twisted; it was nothing short of a demonic realm.
A lower-level martial artist would have their body caught in the spatial distortion and turned into meat fragments the moment they stepped inside.
Even a Transcendent Realm master could easily get lost in the maze that had been created here.
Ju Won-jang realized it instantly. Ah, this is the Evil-Annihilating Heavenly Lord’s doing.
Having gained a deeper understanding of Lee Seo-jun, Ju Won-jang had learned a golden rule: if something strange happened, just point the finger at that guy first.
"Good grief…! Stop messing around! What if the Alliance Leader comes running?"
As he shouted loudly, infusing his words with internal energy, the distorted space flinched.
Snap—!
With a crisp sound, the space began to restore itself in an instant.
Ju Won-jang let out a deep sigh as he watched the incomprehensible sight.
"What now? Did you two have a life-and-death duel or something?"
Looking at Ju Won-jang, Peng Geuk-jin shouted with a flushed face.
"This kid!"
"This kid?"
"This Peng Seo-jun here! He’s realized the true intent of the Primordial Unity Thunderbolt Divine Art, hasn't he!"
"Hooo."
There really isn't a single sane one among these Transcendent bastards!
The Emperor lamented.
* * *
Seo-jun made an announcement.
"Alright, from now on, I name the five of us gathered here the Five Martial Morons."
Under the Emperor’s active promotion, a term was coined to collectively refer to the five Transcendent masters gathered there.
Mubyeongje (The Five Martial Morons) was that term.
Seo-jun smirked.
"Just like the Power Rangers, a five-man squad is the golden rule for things like this."
"You, stop talking nonsense."
In truth, there was a separate reason why the five Transcendent masters—or more accurately, four Transcendent masters and the tag-along Pae Jin-gwang—had gathered here.
The planned invasion of the Black Lotus Union before spring fully arrived.
The first objective was to coordinate with each other before that major event, and the second was to hammer out a solid plan.
The Emperor waved a scroll in his hand.
"I have already received the framework of the strategy from the Chief Tactician."
The general overview of the Black Lotus Union invasion was as follows:
Since it was time to wrap up the war, four—now likely five—Transcendent masters would gather to drastically reduce the enemy's strength.
First, the North Sea Ice Palace was excluded since they were friends of the Evil-Annihilating Heavenly Lord.
The Giryeon Sect and the Sword Sect had been destroyed, leaving four of the Seven Evil Black Sects. Among those four, the Great Black Mountain Sect and the Heaven-Breaking Je Clan were currently struggling to survive.
"I’ll ask this. Does anyone know how many Transcendent masters are left in the Black Lotus Union?"
At the Emperor’s gaze, Seo-jun slightly avoided eye contact. Pae Jin-gwang and Peng Geuk-jin did the exact same.
He hadn't expected much anyway.
When he looked at Hwangbo Ryung, the man let out a long sigh.
"Sigh… Excluding the masters of the previous generation, there are probably slightly fewer than ten left."
The number of Transcendent masters in the Righteous and Evil Factions was roughly equal. At least, it had been for the last few hundred years.
In ancient times, practicing Evil Arts allowed for rapid early progress but made it incredibly difficult to reach higher realms. However, at some point, that disadvantage had vanished.
They had succeeded in refining the miscellaneous impurities unique to Evil Arts into a pure energy called Death Qi.
The martial arts of the Righteous Faction had also evolved compared to ancient times, making early progress faster, but they were still slightly slower than the Evil Faction.
However, the Evil Faction similarly had slightly fewer high-level martial artists compared to the Righteous Faction.
That balance had been delicately maintained, so there hadn't been a significant difference in power between the Righteous and Evil Factions for centuries.
"Ten? No, why?"
Seo-jun, who naturally wouldn't know such things, raised a question.
"Excluding the Ice Palace from the Seven Evil Black Sects, and the Giryeon and Sword Sects, and since the Je Clan Head is dead… shouldn't there be only a few more than three left?"
Of course not.
"Do you know how many Transcendent masters are in the Righteous Faction?" Hwangbo Ryung asked.
"Since there are the Sixteen Major Sects and Clans… a bit more than sixteen?"
There was only one condition to be included in the Sixteen Major Sects and Clans: a Transcendent Realm martial artist must exist within that power.
While a good portion of them were only at the beginning stages of the Transcendent Realm, sixteen was by no means a small number.
"Then, since the backbone of the Black Lotus Union is the Seven Evil Black Sects, there should only be seven Transcendent masters?"
"Oh."
Seven and sixteen.
No matter how bad Seo-jun was at math, he knew there was more than a twofold difference between 7 and 16.
"Then where are the rest and what are they doing if there are only the Seven Evil Black Sects?"
"The Black Lotus Union."
"Pardon?"
"The Black Lotus Union is different from the Murim Alliance. The Union itself possesses considerable power. You can consider the Black Lotus Union to be positioned above the Seven Evil Black Sects."
This was common knowledge for any Murim inhabitant.
However, Hwangbo Ryung didn't find it strange that Seo-jun didn't know common knowledge.
After all, didn't absolutely everything he did suggest he lacked it?
So, he explained kindly.
"Do you know Neung Pyeong-ho?"
"I do. I think he was a martial unit leader directly under the Black Lotus Union."
He had heard the man used a spear and possessed a mental imagery that embraced the moon, only to be cut down by Namgung Jincheon.
He wondered if there was some connection to Neung Wol, who had been part of the God-Destroying Association.
"Right. There are quite a few Transcendent masters directly under the Black Lotus Union. And naturally, at the apex is the Leader of the Black Lotus Union."
"Then… we have to do something about them?"
"Indeed."
"How?"
Invading the Black Lotus Union? Even Seo-jun knew that was pure madness.
If the Union Leader suddenly appeared, all four or five Transcendent masters could die on the spot.
"I don't know."
"What?"
"That’s why we gathered to deliberate. Though I never imagined we wouldn't even be able to start."
…said Hwangbo Ryung, who had been enjoying mahjong the most out of all of them.
Seo-jun, looking at him with a strange expression, suddenly thought of something.
Hmm, this might actually work.
After thinking it over a few more times, Seo-jun offered a suggestion.
"If I copy every single one of their martial arts and show them off, wouldn't they come running out of pure curiosity?"
"What kind of crazy talk is that? Copying their martial arts? How?"
"I’m actually pretty good at that."
"What nonsense are you… wait."
Suddenly, a vivid scene flashed through Hwangbo Ryung’s mind.
The day he had refused to permit the marriage between Namgung Myeong and Hwangbo Hye-ji—the scene where this madman had crashed through the roof and performed something perfectly resembling the Thunderbolt Fist of Mount Tai using a sword…
"No, wait. Surely?"