Chapter 30
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Guiding the Thunder
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Chapter 30.
Guiding Qi through Acupoints.
The mental fortitude required to infuse one's energy into another's body, guide it at will, and ensure it follows the correct path was beyond imagination.
As Namgung Yeoul received the energy of the Heavenly Thunder Pill, his back became soaked with sweat.
He had heard much about this thing, but it was far more vicious than he had anticipated.
Nevertheless, Namgung Yeoul's true energy suppressed the rampaging energy of the Heavenly Thunder Pill and guided it toward a single point. The foundation of the dantian, cultivated from a tiny seed that had sprouted and grown into a sapling. He felt a familiar energy.
The Great Expansion Art.
The moment it reached that place, the path leading to the middle dantian became unstable. Instead, it had been expanded throughout the fine and major meridians of the entire body, showing signs of deep contemplation. It seemed he had cultivated it through his own unique method.
Was this how he had managed to endure being poisoned by the Gentleman's Mountain?
It was admirable. Namgung Yeoul's grip tightened involuntarily. He heightened his concentration even further.
The Great Young Lord's body trembled as that energy spread to his limbs and every pore.
Just guiding the energy of the Heavenly Thunder Pill was enough to make Namgung Yeoul feel a sense of exhilaration; what must the Great Young Lord, who contained that energy within his body, be feeling?
Moreover, the thunderous energy advanced, burning away all the bodily wastes and turbid energy that hindered the flow of qi, completely incinerating the impurities in the Great Young Lord's twelve major meridians.
After it had cleansed both the dantian and the twelve major meridians, the remaining energy surged. It seemed to ask Namgung Yeoul's guiding energy, as if it already knew where to go.
Where are you taking us? Where are we headed?
We are ready. So it clamored.
For the first time in his life, Namgung Yeoul decided to be greedy. He would give him the greatest gift he possibly could.
The energy of the Heavenly Thunder Pill and Namgung Yeoul's own energy simultaneously bypassed the dantian and surged upward, and then upward again.
Craaack!
The Great Young Lord's body, lost in a state of selflessness, seemed to have received a great shock.
His body shook several times, his heart pounding like a drum.
It was the one place that had to be breached to reach the realm of transcendence. A single domain where a clumsy attempt could leave one crippled, never to hold a sword again for the rest of their life.
The Ren and Du meridians, also known as the Heavenly Gate.
Kwoooosh!
The thunderous energy exploded several times. Simultaneously, the beads of sweat covering Namgung Yeoul's entire body now began to drench the ground beneath him.
The energy of the Heavenly Thunder Pill, blocked by the Ren and Du meridians, grew furious. Never before had any energy stood in its way, and it spewed complaints, questioning why an obstacle now barred its path.
Boom! Kwoong! Craaack!
Whoooosh.
A powerful energy, rivaling that of the Heavenly Thunder Pill, gathered in Namgung Yeoul's palms. The pure internal energy of the Heavenly Thunder Imperial Divine Art, which had reached the pinnacle of mastery, merged with the energy of the Heavenly Thunder Pill and slammed directly into the blockage.
Kwwaaaaaaang!
As if dozens of Thunderbolt Bombs had been detonated simultaneously, the sound of explosions coursed ceaselessly through the Great Young Lord's body. Furthermore, Namgung Yeoul felt it. A crack in the once-solid Ren and Du meridians. Though minuscule, he did not miss the opening he sensed. And the energy of the Heavenly Thunder Imperial Divine Art, now one with the Heavenly Thunder Pill, pierced through that gap and reached the Heavenly Gate.
Shudder.
The rampaging energy of the Heavenly Thunder Pill, which had been causing the Great Young Lord's body to convulse, completed a full circulation and settled in his dantian.
Of course, watching it disappear with a portion of his own Heavenly Thunder Imperial Divine Art as if it were its own, Namgung Yeoul couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
So this is your place now, you rascals.
Huurk.
The moment I opened my eyes, a sense of déjà vu and stuffiness washed over me, forcing me to retch on an empty stomach several times.
Cough, cough.
I reached for my sleeve to wipe the filth from my mouth, but
Where did it go?
I was naked. Not a single thread on me, in a state of nature.
Coming to my senses and realizing I was naked gave me much to think about. What did I do to end up like this?
Ah. I took the Heavenly Thunder Pill... right?
But how does that lead to being naked?
In this utterly incomprehensible situation, the stench of unidentifiable dark red stains scattered around me assaulted my nose. Did someone relieve themselves here?
It is none other than your own, Great Young Lord.
First Elder?
Hearing the familiar voice, I turned my head and my eyes widened. He looked several years older than the Namgung Yeoul I knew.
No way.
The crucial part starts now. I will guide you.
Was that voice I heard as if in a dream the First Elder's?
What on earth happened?
Before you learn that, first
Huh? Is it just my imagination?
It seems like First Elder Namgung Yeoul has taken a step back.
So I took a step closer.
Ssk.
He takes another step back.
First Elder?
Even between master and disciple, etiquette is required. We will maintain this distance until you have washed.
Only then did I realize.
The foul stench emanating from my entire body.
Those dark red stains were mine.
I'd heard of it before. That consuming spirit pills and elixirs could expel all sorts of turbid energy and bodily wastes.
You have to experience it to know.
In my past life, I never had such a fortuitous opportunity, so how could I have known?
I understand. I'll be right back
Ugh.
Namgung Yeoul, whose expression had never once changed, finally broke the distance he was maintaining and moved far away.
Still, that's a bit much, I thought, following his gaze. My maternal uncle was standing there too.
Pinching his nose and waving his hand dismissively.
I came to see if you were doing it right, but you're a right mess. Hahaha. Phew. What a smell. Hahaha.
To think I would feel a killing intent in this life that I had rarely felt even in my past one.
Someone once said.
That approaching the realm of transcendence was to become one with nature.
And that the first gate to approaching that realm of transcendence was to open the Ren and Du meridiansthe Heavenly Gate.
My vision, several times brighter, was like that of someone who had just emerged from a deep, dark cave into the world for the first time.
My hearing, which brought the chirping of flying birds to me so vividly that I felt I was facing nature itself.
My sense of smell, so transformed that I could instantly tell what dishes were being prepared in the inner quarters dozens of yards away.
My sense of taste, which tingled with the flow of air I felt with every breath.
And my sense of touch, so vivid that the atmosphere playing in the air felt as if I could grasp it in my hand, and the grains of sand on the ground felt distinct beneath my feet.
My five senses were enhanced, and beyond that, it felt as if I were facing the world with a new sense altogether.
I thrilled at the energy of the Heavenly Thunder Pill that now filled the foundation of the Great Expansion Art, which had only faintly sprouted before. Each time that energy completed a full circulation, my entire body shook. Simply accumulating energy and opening the Ren and Du meridians didn't mean my current realm had instantly risen, but the very fabric of the world I perceived had changed.
Back in my past life as Namgung Byeok,
During the time I was called the Sword Fiend, after being the Killing Fiend.
I came to understand a little about the transcendent sword strikes and immense internal energy displayed by peak masters.
With this kind of intoxicating feeling, it was easy to become arrogant, to think one could do anything. I myself was beginning to think that way.
You've returned.
Namgung Yeoul was there. He said my uncle had gotten tired of waiting and left, saying he had things to do.
Tch. Vanished like a ghost.
He must have sensed the killing intent in my eyes.
First Elder, thank you.
Soon, you will take those words back. Take up your sword.
At his words, I raised my head. Telling me to grab a sword out of the blue.
There is much to teach you. You have only just passed a single gate; the road ahead is long. It seems you have yet to properly witness the sword of the Namgung.
He had a point.
I had built a foundation, but I had no swordsmanship to show for it.
There is an order to swordsmanship, Great Young Lord.
Namgung Yeoul slowly began to explain the sword of the Namgung to me.
The Ten Forms of the Iron Sword is a basic sword art, and the Thirteen Flashes of Lightning is only slightly better. The Great Expansion Art is also a basic technique, so members of the Namgung family do not learn it directly. They only learn it as a supplement. There are countless martial arts superior to it. Furthermore, everyone who learns martial arts says that learning advanced, transcendent techniques is a faster path to progress than following the basic process.
Normally.
I would have refuted and expressed my disapproval no matter who said it. But since it was Namgung Yeoul, the one who understood the Namgung sword best, I couldn't say a word.
That is what everyone thinks. However.
Screee, the sound of metal rang out.
From the tip of Namgung Yeoul's sword, the Ten Forms of the Iron Sword unfolded slowly, then even more slowly.
It was a sword I knew well. But it was incomparably plain compared to the one shown by the Iron-Blood Sword Saint, An Baek. There were no reinterpreted parts, no immense power contained withinjust ordinary.
Nevertheless, the reason the Ten Forms of the Iron Sword, which contains the life of the Iron Sword, is established as the basic sword art is because it is the best for understanding the sword.
Before treading the path of supremacy. Before imbuing the essence of weight.
Namgung Yeoul was saying that one must understand the life of the Iron Sword to imbue both intent and form into the sword's tip.
In that moment.
At the word 'supremacy,' my heart stopped for a moment, and at the phrase 'essence of weight,' my shoulders felt crushed. It was only for an instant.
He had only swung his sword a few times.
It was just the same Ten Forms of the Iron Sword.
The Thirteen Flashes of Lightning will serve as a guide to the Heavenly Thunder, so it can be said you are learning the Namgung sword correctly.
Flashes of lightning flickered thirteen times in an instant. The light, appearing and disappearing in a moment, created the illusion that I had gone blind.
Therefore, the path the Great Young Lord is taking is not wrong.
At his words, I shook my head.
Even so, isn't it less efficient than learning advanced martial arts from the start?
If one could learn transcendent martial arts first.
If that were possible, wouldn't the preceding process be pointless?
This was a fundamental question that had formed as I learned martial arts.
Is that process, called the basics... is that series of steps truly necessary?
At my reaction, Namgung Yeoul gave a faint smile.
Azure Sky. Firmament. Heavenly Thunder. Unhindered. Great Expansion. Heavenly Wind. This list of words can be considered the entirety of the Namgung. Only by making these six stories completely your own can you look to what comes next. The path of the Emperor, which you so desire.
As he spoke, Namgung Yeoul gazed at the tip of his sword.
The Six Harmonies. It refers to the heavens, the earth, and the four cardinal directions, but in the Namgung family, it has a different meaning. The Six Harmonies that contain the stories of the Azure Sky, Firmament, Heavenly Thunder, Unhindered, Great Expansion, and Heavenly Wind can be truly called the Namgung. However, entering that path is arduous and difficult. That is why they are needed. The guides.
He said the Ten Forms of the Iron Sword is the first key to understanding the Namgung sword.
And the Thirteen Flashes of Lightning is the second key to accepting it.
If your foundation had not been forged by the Great Expansion Art, even the energy created by the Heavenly Thunder Pill would have quickly crumbled. If the foundation, the very basics, is not solid, everything is bound to collapse.
Really?
Believe in the path you are walking.
Questioning my own path over and over was a painful affair. While everyone else clamored to learn advanced techniques, I was often gripped by the feeling that I alone was falling behind.
In that situation, in that world where I couldn't learn them even if I wanted to, and was never given the chance,
the only things I could believe in were the swordsmanship and internal arts known as the basics.
My life, where I had learned them reluctantly, learned them to survive, and believed in them only to struggle on.
Was not being denied, but was being called the right path.
And by the one who understood the sword of the Namgung best.