Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Subduing Demons Hall
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I explained to Triple Excellence Lee Gwang that I had been a disciple of another branch of the Thunder God Style, training in it since a very young age. Normally, someone might doubt that I could reach this level of proficiency in just a few years, but he didn't seem to think I was on the level of a Half-Immortal Old Monster. Of course, I was honest about my internal energy, admitting that I had consumed the Millennium Snow Ginseng.
After hearing my full story, Triple Excellence Lee Gwang checked my pulse.
He let out a low groan.
"Millennium Snow Ginseng truly is an incredible spiritual elixir. Your three primary meridians are almost fully opened, right on the verge of Heavenly Spirit Pill level."
Heavenly Spirit Pill?
I tilted my head at the unfamiliar term, but he didn't elaborate further. Instead, he said,
"You and I are fellow disciples. If you wish to serve me as your master once more, perform the Nine Bows Ritual right here."
"Yes."
I performed the Nine Bows Ritual without hesitation. I had come here prepared to devote decades to learning everything under him. Once the nine prostrations were complete, Lee Gwang said,
"Rise. From this moment, I am your master, and I will pass down the entirety of the Thunder God Style to you."
"Yes."
"Baek Woong. You've likely heard this from your previous master already, but the Thunder God Style is a multi-lineage inheritance, a world-shaking martial school. You show great promise, so train diligently and strive to reach its pinnacle."
"Understood."
This time, I didn't ask about the history of the Thunder God Style. Peppering Triple Excellence Lee Gwang with too many eager questions might arouse suspicion. Instead, I noticed something odd.
'In the past, Lee Gwang had asked about the power of my Mysterious Heaven Divine Art and moved on. Why hasn't he mentioned it at all this time?'
Did he not notice? Or was he deliberately avoiding the topic?
In the past, through my connection with the Mysterious Heaven Daoist, I had learned the true essence of the Mysterious Heaven Divine Art. It had merged with my vast internal energy, granting me its power separately. Since then, through elixirs and consistent training, the Mysterious Heaven Divine Art had continued to develop. Yet Lee Gwang wasn't probing into its origins.
But blurting it out here out of unfounded fear would be foolish. Regardless of his intentions, if he wanted me dead, he wouldn't bother with all this trouble. Steel yourself, I thought, and said,
"I've come to learn the martial arts of the Thunder God Style. I'm prepared."
"Prepared—good word."
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang smiled warmly.
"From today, you are my direct disciple. Treat Jin So-cheong as your direct senior brother. Given your skill, I'll grant you the rank of instructor for now. Train with me one-on-one in the meantime."
"Yes."
Then, as if it had just occurred to him, he muttered,
"Come to think of it, So-cheong said he was off to meet a friend."
By coincidence, I had entered the hall on the exact same day as before. Right now, Senior Brother Jin So-cheong was probably at the Jo family manor, escorting Nangong Hwan and his fiancée at his request. Soon, with the help of the Jo family head, they would escape in secret. Of course, that escape would be thwarted by over a dozen first-class experts, leading to an unavoidable battle just before Hangu Pass.
I asked,
"What should I do?"
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang thought for a moment, then waved his hand.
"No... never mind. He'll return on his own. Go rest for today."
"Yes."
In the past, I had eagerly said I wanted to see my senior brother in person. That's why Lee Gwang had tasked me with bringing him back. Back then, my strong desire to meet Nangong Hwan had driven me to take the initiative.
This time, however, I decided not to step forward. At this point, Jin So-cheong's skill was already beyond what a mob of first-class experts could handle. Left alone, he would cut through them like a wolf through sheep. History had proven it.
'I want to conserve even a bit of time and energy.'
Intense, life-or-death training awaited. I had no desire to waste energy wandering about. Besides, I knew Jin So-cheong's abilities inside out, so there was no need to witness his prowess again.
"Bang Il. Escort Instructor Baek to his quarters."
"Yes, Hall Master."
I followed Bang Il once more to the private room assigned to instructors. As he guided me, he kept stealing glances, his face full of disbelief. Unlike before, he didn't dare grab my collar or threaten me.
And for good reason—even a trainee like Bang Il could recognize that when a peak expert like Lee Gwang appointed someone as an instructor, they possessed commensurate skill. He must have decided picking a fight with me wouldn't end well.
"Instructor. This is your private room. Rest well."
Bang Il's tone had turned polite. During my first entry as a trainee and disciple of Chief Instructor Jin So-cheong, he could bully me, but with the hall master personally appointing me as a direct-line instructor, he had no choice but to use honorifics and treat me like a VIP. For an ambitious hunter of the strong like Bang Il, it was unavoidable.
I lay on the comfortable bed in the private room and thought,
'No need for pretenses. From tomorrow, I'll go all out.'
Originally, I had planned to act like my skill was a bit lacking for my age. But after years of guidance from Triple Excellence Lee Gwang and Jin So-cheong, I knew half-hearted deceptions wouldn't fool them. It was far better to clash honestly with my true understanding and insights.
The next morning, Jin So-cheong returned. Upon meeting me, the new instructor, he grinned brightly.
"A new junior brother for me! Pleased to meet you, Junior Brother Baek Woong."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
I gave a wry smile. After years of sparring and learning from this man, he felt more like a master to me than Triple Excellence Lee Gwang. But showing too much would be unwise, so I hid my feelings behind a touch of coolness.
And so, training began.
From the very first day of one-on-one instruction, Triple Excellence Lee Gwang decided on a spar with wooden swords—not the spear spar I had with Jin So-cheong. We faced off at a distance in the training hall. Lee Gwang assumed a stance guarding his centerline and said,
"Come at me."
"Hah!"
I had no intention of holding back. I already knew he was dozens of times stronger than his public reputation suggested.
Crackle.
In an instant, the realm of Thunder Spirit I had mastered erupted, sharply boosting my reflexes and speed. Azure Thunder Spirit qi wrapped around my wooden sword—with power enough to blow a first-class Imperial Guard's upper body clean off if struck. My body surged forward at terrifying speed.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
Chaining Thunder Shadow Steps, I glided like a reflection on a mirror, unleashing Triple Linked Slash in a flash. Self-assessed as improved from my second entry's training, it was a chained assault. My form accelerated further under Thunder Shadow Step's effect, trailing sparks along the ground like a comet's tail.
Fwoosh.
"......!!"
But I realized every attack had been deflected by a paper-thin margin. And Lee Gwang hadn't merely dodged—he had counterattacked with Sword Qi Acupoint Strike without me even seeing it. The realm of striking acupoints with unseen sword qi was beyond my current imagination.
No, is this Thunder Shadow Swordsmanship?
I felt bone-deep that he had already transcended swordsmanship, stepping into some formless realm.
Thud.
All my past life's combat experience proved worthless as I collapsed after a mere five exchanges. As I struggled to release the acupoint seal, Triple Excellence Lee Gwang said,
"Baek Woong."
"Yes."
"Your internal energy and techniques would work well against ordinary martial artists. But they lack intent, making it hard to land hits on true experts, no matter your supreme internal energy."
"......"
This wasn't the first time I'd heard this. It was what Triple Excellence Lee Gwang had told me dozens of times before finally giving up on teaching me. On the very first day of training, I felt I had returned to that same starting line. In other words, he had objectively assessed my skill right at this moment.
'Right. And back then, I couldn't comprehend those words at all, wasting years away...'
I hadn't been slacking off. I racked my brains over what "intent" meant, what "resolve" meant. I swung my sword endlessly, but grasped nothing. Desperate, I sought guidance from Jin So-cheong for the remaining two years, to no avail. That's how I got entangled in the Imperial Guard affair and sent to Luoyang.
Gritting my teeth, I said,
"I don't understand."
"What don't you?"
"Actually, before coming to you, Master, I fought a remarkable expert. I unleashed all my internal energy just like now, boosting speed and power explosively, but he read and toyed with every attack, just like this. Even if I have world's-best internal energy, why this gap?"
I was referring to my deathmatch with the Imperial Guard Commander. No matter that he was the palace's top expert, a super-peak master—even then, I'd been effortlessly toyed with. He had even held back three moves, yet my blade snapped on his finger in humiliation.
"Hmm..."
Triple Excellence Lee Gwang looked slightly surprised. Judging my words sincere, he pondered seriously before answering.
"You're fortunate to have survived that foe. Let's review that fight."
"Yes."
"Recount the battle's flow as you remember it."
I recalled my technique sequence against the Commander and how he dodged—direction, speed, everything. Over about half an incense stick's time, I haltingly described it, crude as it was. Embarrassing, but as a master, Lee Gwang seemed to grasp it all. Organizing his thoughts, he said,
"That was undoubtedly a great expert. The technique he used is the pinnacle method of a rare art called Shifting Form, Changing Position."
"Shifting Form, Changing Position?"
"It's not well-known, but this is it."
Whoosh!
"......!!"
I bulged my eyes.
Incredibly, Lee Gwang's figure split into two in an instant! My eyes clearly saw two Lee Gwangs—it could only be a cloning technique. He transmitted to me telepathically in that state.
[How about it? Can you tell which is real?]
I focused my qi on my eyes to probe. But I couldn't tell, so I shook my head.
"...No idea."
Swoosh.
Lee Gwang's form merged back into one. Sitting on a chair, he continued,
"It's not a magical cloning spell. It's a technique that leaves qi afterimages to deceive, and those relying purely on bodily speed fall easiest to its openings. The afterimages' density is nearly uniform, making the true body impossible to discern with normal vision."
"C-Could I use Shifting Form, Changing Position too?"
"Of course. With your internal energy, few techniques in this world are beyond you. But there's a problem."
"A problem?"
Swish swish swish.
His form multiplied instantly to four, eight, sixteen, filling the training hall. Astonishingly, each lingered in a different pose and position, frozen in time. Finding the real Lee Gwang amid the illusions was impossible. Suddenly, I felt his index finger press firmly into my back without warning.
"Gasp..."
Lightning shot up my spine. If he'd held even a small dagger, I'd be dead right then.
"Couldn't tell at all, right? That's because you're trying to see qi with your eyes. With such clumsy qi mastery, you'll never learn Shifting Form, Changing Position in a lifetime."
"Isn't seeing with eyes natural? Concentrate internal energy in your eyes, and you see the opponent's qi."
"Shifting Form, Changing Position exploits exactly that flaw. Qi isn't a tangible object, so masters can shape it into illusions at will. In super-peak battles and above, feints and realities are enforced as a matter of course."
"......!!"
If that's true, facing a super-peak expert means I'm helpless to defeat like now? As I reeled, Triple Excellence Lee Gwang continued,
"Your Thunder God Style foundations are excellently laid. Credit to your former master. From now on, I'll teach applied qi and advanced combat methods."
"Yes!"
Overjoyed at receiving what I'd dreamed of, I thrilled. In the past, Lee Gwang had explained passionately for days before giving up when I couldn't grasp it. This time, he seemed to have directly gauged my level, with detailed advice to come.
"First... your training."
I tensed at his words.
"Yes."
"Your forte seems Thunder Shadow Swordsmanship, so perform it 100,000 times."
"100,000 times?"
"Yes. With me watching."
What connection between advanced combat and absurd repetition? Curiosity boiled inside, but I clamped my mouth shut. In the past, I'd blurted questions without thinking, earning his disgusted looks. He saw it as laziness, not using my own head.
To get Triple Excellence Lee Gwang to teach properly, I needed the mindset to think to my limits, even if it made me vomit effort. Gritting my teeth, I replied,
"I will."
From that day, I repeated Thunder Shadow Swordsmanship like a madman. Even solo, I'd reviewed flaws while practicing, but never this insanely relentless. Arms crossed, Lee Gwang watched; at any mistake, he'd strike with his wooden sword.
Crack.
"Focus. Who said sloppy? Execute the orthodox Thunder Shadow Swordsmanship properly."
Crack.
"Not sluggishly either. Pour all your spirit in—crisp, as fast as possible! Precise and fast!"
"Ugh...!!"
That day, I managed about 4,500 repetitions, my body black-and-blue by end. Without unconsciously defending with internal energy, a normal person would've died dozens of times. Knowing that, Lee Gwang had calibrated his beatings—it irked me.
I thought training ended for the night, but at midnight, he suddenly called someone.
"Jin So-cheong. Supervise him until he hits 100,000. No breaks."
"Understood, Master."
"Watch for six double-hours, then rotate with two instructors."
"Yes."
Jin So-cheong took the chair as Lee Gwang went to sleep.
'No breaks?'
I realized then.
"......!!"
The 100,000 repetitions Lee Gwang meant weren't paced with eating, sleeping, resting—but literally [without a single moment's pause].