Chapter 338
Chapter 338
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 338
Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm
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Gansu Province's Wuwei region was not far away, and we arrived there soon enough. It was a place I had never been to before, as I had not passed through this part of Gansu on my previous journey across the province. Following Lee Gwang's guidance through a valley terrain in the Wuwei region along a large river, a ravine overflowing with treacherous rapids came into view. Venturing deeper into the ravine led to an open area, where we then climbed a mountain.
Lee Gwang spoke as we ascended the mountain path.
"It was when I was protecting my master, Yi Cheong-un, from the White Lotus Cult and fleeing Gansu Province."
It seemed like a tale from the past. The three of us following him listened intently, and Lee Gwang reminisced in a quiet tone.
"I had suffered severe injuries from the pursuers myself, but my master was in an even more critical state. He passed away near the waters of this ravine at that time, and I could not leave his body by the riverbank, so I buried him on this mountain."
"That's here, then."
"I have regretted it deeply all these years. I feared the White Lotus Cult might desecrate my master's remains to humiliate the Thunder God Style, so I haven't visited the grave until now."
Lee Gwang suddenly turned and looked at Jin So-cheong.
"But since you are treading a dangerous path, I want you to receive my master's blessing. The elders of the Thunder God Style will be watching."
Jin So-cheong nodded.
"Yes."
Soon, we found a small mound of earth on a patch of ground. It barely qualified as a grave—it was just a large pile of dirt overgrown with weeds and trees nearby. Lee Gwang glanced at it and swung his spear to clear the obstacles.
Slash!
We helped Lee Gwang clean the grave, and it finally took shape. Staring at the mound, Lee Gwang said.
"This is definitely it."
"Is that so."
"Then..."
Lee Gwang took out a bottle of liquor from his bosom and knelt before the grave. We knelt behind him and followed his bows. After two full prostrations, he poured the liquor over the mound and gazed heavily at it, speaking softly.
"Master. My successor, Jin So-cheong, has come here."
I was surprised by his next words.
"Master, you must have thought I betrayed you, but I never did. To only realize the truth before you died... I still regret it deeply."
Jin So-cheong also looked surprised and stared at Lee Gwang. What secret from the past was this? After a moment of silence, Lee Gwang continued.
"Please bless So-cheong so he may escape the cult leader's clutches unharmed, Master..."
His expression was grave and dark. Deep down, Lee Gwang wished Jin So-cheong would not go to the White Lotus Cult, but he could no longer stop him and could only pray for his safety. After another bow, the ancestral rite ended, and we sat in a circle to share the modest food we had brought.
Lee Gwang looked heavily at Jin So-cheong and said.
"You must have been shocked by what I just said."
"Yes."
"The two beside you are ones you trust with your life, so I wanted to share this secret with them. This is my way of letting you know I trust you."
"......"
Letting out a sigh, Lee Gwang began his story from the past.
"My master was suddenly summoned by the cult leader. It was over fifty years ago now."
"I know that much."
"I don't know what they discussed. But one thing is certain... it was not a private meeting."
Jin So-cheong's face hardened.
Of course, he knew that story. Han Baek-ryeong had already told him. But hearing it confirmed directly from Lee Gwang made him even more curious about what had happened that day. Lee Gwang continued.
"My master went to a place where the cult leader and Duggo Jun were present and spoke of something. But it went awry midway, leading to a fight, and he returned to the Thunder God Style's base in a battered state. I had no time to hear the details from him as I had to flee while escorting the other inheritors, escaping myself as well."
Lee Gwang bit his lip hard.
"While fleeing and protecting my master, I was struck by Yong Bi-cheon at a cliff and fell. I barely regained consciousness near here, but my master's condition had worsened dramatically. His injuries were beyond recovery even with the Heavenly Spirit Pill—I knew not even the Great Harmony Immortal could save him then."
"......"
"Yet, in a moment of lucidity before death, my master saw me as a traitor. I don't know how it happened, but he believed I had sold the Thunder God Style's secrets. I denied it, but apparently, the reason my master lost to the cult leader was tied to that secret."
"What secret?"
"The ultimate secret art of the Thunder God Style martial arts!"
"......!!"
The atmosphere froze solid in that instant.
The ultimate secret art of the Thunder God Style!
Wasn't that the very thing the cult leader had relentlessly pursued and demanded in my previous lives? We weren't even sure if it existed, but Lee Gwang had staunchly denied it. And now, here it was mentioned again.
Jin So-cheong swallowed hard and said.
"Does the ultimate secret art truly exist?"
Lee Gwang nodded firmly.
"It does!"
In that moment, everything changed. The ultimate secret art of the Thunder God Style, which I thought was just a legend because Lee Gwang denied it, was now confirmed to exist! I had speculated it might, but hearing it affirmed by the legitimate successor of the Thunder God Style's guardian elder carried real weight.
"Thanks to proving my innocence to my master, the misunderstanding was cleared before he passed. But according to him, the incantation for the ultimate secret art he was researching had leaked, and the cult leader had obtained it beforehand to study its weaknesses. That's why my master had no choice but to lose."
"What do you mean?"
Jin So-cheong asked in confusion.
"Are you saying Grandmaster Yi Cheong-un could have defeated the White Lotus Cult Leader...?"
"Yes. Of course."
Flames flickered in Lee Gwang's eyes.
"That day, the cult leader attacked my master alongside Duggo Jun. Even in that situation, my master gained a slight advantage by employing the incantation for the ultimate secret art. If that supreme technique had fully taken effect, mutual destruction might have been possible."
"......!!"
No one could help but be shocked.
To think there was a chance of victory against *that* White Lotus Cult Leader!
He was a terrifying superhuman who could calmly face God's apostle, Dalgi, without flinching—a being who transcended common sense in the martial world by several levels. Especially his free manipulation of the five elements and taiji, plus his ability to warp space-time with his cyclic calamities, was astonishing. And yet, the previous Thunder God Style guardian elder Yi Cheong-un had nearly defeated the cult leader and Duggo Jun in a joint assault?!
Lee Gwang said.
"Ever since that day, I've been thinking. Perhaps someone stole the ultimate secret art's manual and handed it to the cult leader? And that person had to be from the Thunder God Style—a traitor."
"Hmm..."
"So-cheong. You should understand why I'm telling you this."
Jin So-cheong's eyes flashed.
"We need to uncover the traitor's identity."
"Exactly. Originally, I planned to gather the Thunder God Style inheritors over decades and observe them to find the culprit. That's why I accepted any inheritor who came."
Answering thus, Lee Gwang said.
"The traitor won't want the cult leader to accept the Thunder God Style back and allow it to rise again. Because if the inheritors gather, a direct interrogation would expose the traitor. So, the traitor will definitely make a move if you enter as the cult leader's disciple."
"Why did the traitor betray them?"
"I've considered many possibilities, but I can't figure it out."
Sighing, Lee Gwang said to Jin So-cheong.
"So, if you're willing, I want to tell you what I know about the ultimate secret art."
"Really?!"
"Yes."
Lee Gwang gave a wry smile.
"But this is just information. It won't help improve your martial arts at all, so I've kept it from you until now."
"Please tell me."
Lee Gwang nodded and said.
"First, unlike the other three great styles, the Thunder God Style's ultimate secret art was incomplete, a legendary technique no one in history has mastered. The basic requirement is mastering the ultimate techniques of fist, sword, and spear, then obtaining the Heavenly Spirit Pill. After that, it can be completed with the help of three peerless experts from each field in the Thunder God Style. The problem is, once completed, you must forget everything and start over to attain the ultimate secret art."
This was information we already knew. But then, new information poured from Lee Gwang's mouth that we had never heard before.
"However, the Thunder God Style practitioners pretended it was incomplete while researching it over generations. By my grandmaster's time, the incantation was mostly formed, and my master secretly trained in it."
"You mean it was somewhat complete?"
"More like formalized. Because the Martial Soul is an infinite martial art beyond human limits, it was like creating foundational techniques up to what humans can handle. My master called it the Thunder God Spirit Soul."
Thunder God Spirit Soul!
It seemed to mean the soul possessed by the god of lightning. Pondering it, Jin So-cheong said.
"By training in the Thunder God Spirit Soul, one can approach the Martial Soul more quickly."
"Yes. The Martial Soul is infinite, so the Thunder God Spirit Soul can practically be considered the ultimate secret art."
"Then why didn't you train in it?"
"The Thunder God Spirit Soul differs from conventional martial arts, so only true masters at the pinnacle of super peak can begin training. So my master only told me of its existence and the incantation, not the training method."
Lee Gwang gave a wry smile.
"Even the incantation I know is bizarre and meaningless. It's closer to a spell. At present, the Thunder God Spirit Soul is essentially lost."
"Please tell me the incantation."
"Very well."
Lee Gwang recited the incantation without hesitation. Seeing him do so even with Mang-ryang and me present meant it truly couldn't be used for martial training. After reciting it two or three more times for memorization, Lee Gwang said.
"My master said he passed this incantation to other inheritors as well, pretending it was nothing special, in preparation for his death. That's why it's hard to pinpoint the traitor. All we know is the traitor understood the meaning of this enigmatic incantation and had motive to sell it to the White Lotus Cult Leader..."
"It's tricky."
"That's why I can't help but worry about your trip to the White Lotus Cult."
Jin So-cheong said with a confident face.
"I'll definitely catch and kill the traitor, so don't worry."
"Yes, I'll trust only you."
After that, Lee Gwang learned the manual incantations and training methods of the Seven Great Supreme Arts of Jang Sam-bong from Jin So-cheong and departed. No matter how cherished a disciple, going to the White Lotus Cult was something his life path could not allow. Once Lee Gwang had fully left, Jin So-cheong said to us.
"We should change the plan."
Mang-ryang's face hardened instantly.
"That won't do."
"How do you know what I plan to suggest?"
"The Black Tyrant of the Seven Corpses Village!"
Unfurling the Five Flowers Seven Metals Thread, Mang-ryang said.
"According to our plan, after entering as the cult leader's disciple, you'd use the Black Tyrant to assassinate the Mount Tai Old Man! Reviving Yi Cheong-un would make that impossible!"
At Mang-ryang's words, I looked at Jin So-cheong.
'Revive Yi Cheong-un?'
Sure enough, reading Jin So-cheong's intent, he silently stared at Mang-ryang. After a long staring contest, Jin So-cheong spoke.
"If we avoid draining power through the soul-sealing ritual separately, the imperial palace faction can be handled sufficiently with the White Lotus Cult's strength."
"The Vermilion Bird only fights winnable battles. Even the cult leader might not withstand his limits. In that case, we must borrow divine power to deal with the Vermilion Bird."
"You think reviving Grandmaster Yi Cheong-un is worth that much?"
"Because of the Thunder God Spirit Soul?"
Nodding at my question, Jin So-cheong said.
"Grandmaster Yi Cheong-un at his peak seems to have possessed martial arts on par with the cult leader. Learning the Thunder God Spirit Soul from him and gaining him as an ally would make fighting the White Lotus Cult Leader much easier. Above all, killing people can somehow be done with human strength, but resurrecting them is something only gods can do."
Mang-ryang shook his head.
"We must kill the Vermilion Bird first. Once he's down, the rest of the imperial palace faction will crumble easily, so we can't give this up."
"......"
Watching the clash between Mang-ryang and Jin So-cheong, I felt troubled. Both sides had valid points. After pondering for a moment, I said.
"We're not killing the Vermilion Bird right now anyway, right? Let's watch the situation a bit more and decide."
"That sounds good."
"Understood."
With my mediation, Mang-ryang and Jin So-cheong showed signs of agreement. Despite their differences, I was the only one who could go to the Seven Corpses Village and commission the reversal ritual.
Mang-ryang glanced at the grave and said.
"Let's try the Heavenly Spirit Invitation spell first."
"To see if Yi Cheong-un's soul is here?"
"Yes."
Humm—
I soon drew energy from the Ten Ultimates to sense soul power. But even searching for souls within twenty ri, there were no strong presences nearby capable of strong summoning. Panicking, I said to Mang-ryang.
"There's no soul of Yi Cheong-un..."
Mang-ryang said as if he expected it.
"The souls of the strong and exceptional don't always linger on earth. Yi Cheong-un has probably already ascended to the afterlife."
"......"
We had planned to summon Yi Cheong-un's soul with the Heavenly Spirit Invitation spell, but now it was all for naught? Dumbfounded, I said to Mang-ryang.
"Can't we call back an ascended soul with the Heavenly Spirit Invitation?"
"Of course not. It's limited to souls remaining in this world."
"Hmm..."
Mang-ryang let out a deep sigh.
"In that case, we'll have no choice but to revive Yi Cheong-un with the reversal authority."
I scratched my head.
"Let's go for now."
"Got it."
Flash!
I immediately used Dimensional Equivalence on the group to head to Luoyang. Entering the Han family manor in Luoyang, we were escorted straight to the family head's receiving chamber, where Han Baek-ryeong sat leaning on her long staff. She glanced over the three of us and said.
"We'll move to Yeom-ryeong."
The Flame Spirit Crucible of the Flame Divine Style! Following Han Baek-ryeong to Yeom-ryeong, we could teleport directly to the White Lotus Cult's headquarters.
Flash!
Arriving at the White Lotus Cult, we followed Han Baek-ryeong to the cult leader's chamber without any interference. Even the council elders simply averted their gazes from us.
"We pay respects to the cult leader!"
The cult leader hid his form behind the curtain as always.
He spoke as soon as he saw us.
[First, let me thank you. Thanks to the Black-White Lotus you gave, the young leader has fully recovered.]
"Yes."
As expected, the Black-White Lotus had freed the young leader from the curse. The cult leader continued.
[Now, our cult will proceed to take over the Central Plains. And as per your request, we will appoint a Thunder God Style guardian elder and accept him as my direct disciple.]
The moment had finally arrived.
Once Jin So-cheong was chosen, we could contact him and uncover the White Lotus Cult Leader's martial arts and secrets!
My chest swelled with the feeling that the plan was more than halfway done.
"......?"
Something felt off. Mang-ryang and Jin So-cheong were looking at me.
Lost in thought, I noticed the cult leader's finger shadow from behind the curtain pointing at me. As I stupidly pointed at myself, the cult leader's Six Harmonies Divine Voice pierced like a wedge.
[Baek Woong, was it? From today, you are the Thunder God Style guardian elder and my direct disciple.]