Reincarnation Sword God

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I headed towards the training ground set up by the Zhongnan Sect alongside Lee Cheong-un. First off, I distilled everything I had learned in martial arts so far and conveyed it to Lee Cheong-un through the obsidian. Lee Cheong-un seemed to savor the memory for a moment before a smile crept onto his face.

“Seems like it’s not going to be easy. I’ll just have to give you a catalyst…”

As he mumbled, he suddenly tossed a spear my way. Upon receiving it, he continued.

“Let’s get straight to the point. Even with Jang Sam-bong’s Muwak, it’s still insufficient to see the perfected form of the Thunder Spirit Technique.”

“……?”

Is that so definitive?

I couldn’t grasp Lee Cheong-un’s intention behind his ‘conclusion’ as I looked at him. He let the spear hang loosely, continuing his words.

“As you know, thanks to you, I’ve come back to life and started teaching the children at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, interpreting and practicing Jang Sam-bong’s Seven Great Techniques in my own way. The memories of practicing the Seven Great Techniques have seeped into my mind, and even though the details are unclear, it wasn’t hard to acquire the skills. Because of that, I’ve been able to become strong quickly.”

“Ah… I see.”

“Jang Sam-bong’s Muwak is incredible. He’s undeniably a Grand Master unparalleled in the martial arts world.”

His eyes sparkled as he said that.

“However… I couldn’t shake off the feeling that it’s quite far from the Martial Extremity pursued in the Thunder Spirit Technique. To be more precise, it feels like I lack experience.”

“Experience?”

“Yes. It’s lacking.”

Lee Cheong-un continued.

“It might sound ridiculous coming from someone who hasn’t even mastered the Peerless Technique, but I think it’s insufficient to reach the level of Martial Extremity.”

I was flabbergasted and retorted.

“The Seven Great Techniques of Jang Sam-bong are the best techniques in the martial arts world as far as I know. If that isn’t enough, then what can be done…?”

“Ah, my mistake. That’s not what I meant.”

Lee Cheong-un waved his hand dismissively.

“In other words… while the Seven Great Techniques can fill some of that terrifying experience needed to step into the realm of Martial Extremity, it’s still not enough. To put it metaphorically, it’s like needing pillars to build a ceiling, and I feel like I’ve only set up one.”

“……”

“To reach the Martial Soul, other techniques of the same level or greater are required.”

I could understand what he meant. Essentially, the Seven Great Techniques had provided overwhelming assistance in breaking through the limitations that the disciples of the Thunder God Lineage had been studying. But even so, from the perspective of the genius Lee Cheong-un, it seemed the mastery of the Seven Great Techniques alone wouldn’t be adequate for reaching the Martial Extremity. It appeared he wanted to obtain and study techniques beyond the Seven Great Techniques and of equal rank or higher.

But does that even make sense?

The Seven Great Techniques of Jang Sam-bong were possibly the ultimate teachings of a disciple who was historically unmatched in the martial arts world, perhaps even the strongest martial artist ever. There might be a few martial arts that could be said to rival it, but nothing came to mind that could equal or surpass those techniques.

If I had to pick strong contenders, it might be the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique of Yeodong-bin or the techniques of Master of Twelve Joules. Yet, the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique was a sword technique without a basic foundation, and it wasn’t even clear what kind of martial arts Master of Twelve Joules was practicing. I let out a groan and spoke.

“Even if I were to be reincarnated, it seems nearly impossible to find something like that…”

“Haha… I’ve spoken rather randomly, haven’t I? My apologies.”

Lee Cheong-un chuckled heartily.

“I’m not saying the Seven Great Techniques are lacking. I fully acknowledge that they can be superior to the martial arts of our Thunder God Lineage. Just mastering one of the Seven Great Techniques could allow one to dominate the world.”

“Um…”

“However… as I study such incredible techniques, my greed grows. I yearn to step further into… a more magnificent realm of martial knowledge.”

“I see.”

“What I just said was merely for you to keep in mind. I was only suggesting one of your future goals.”

Lee Cheong-un waved his hand as if brushing off the conversation.

“Now, attack me using spear techniques.”

“Alright.”

Thrust!

I immediately used the Thrusting Technique to attack Lee Cheong-un. Of course, I knew that such an attack wouldn’t faze someone like him, who had mastered the Thunder Spirit Technique, but I felt there was a reason he asked me to do it. Sure enough, Lee Cheong-un effortlessly dodged my full-powered thrust and moved two steps to the side.

Lee Cheong-un smiled contentedly.

“Not bad. Your spear technique is quite good. That was a splendid thrust.”

Receiving praise from a disciple of the Thunder God Lineage made me feel a bit pleased. Still, I tried to downplay my reaction.

“Well, I’ve trained solely in spear techniques for a while.”

Having felt my martial arts were lacking, I had focused on spear techniques, even enduring Lee Kwang’s relentless training. In that period, I engraved the Thrusting Technique into my soul, naturally becoming proficient in spear usage. While my main martial art now was swordsmanship, those past experiences hadn’t vanished.

“Now, observe.”

Lee Cheong-un lifted his spear and charged at me.

Thrust!

He intentionally used the Thrusting Technique at a visible speed for my internal power. The spear stopped right before my heart. As I stared blankly at the spear, I heard Lee Cheong-un’s voice.

“Didn’t your breathing synchronize with that strike?”

“Indeed.”

“The Three Treasure Technique is akin to the fundamentals of spear techniques. Matching your breathing and timing is crucial.”

As he sheathed the spear, he continued.

“Breathing. Looking through your memories reveals that confusion regarding the Three Treasure Technique was right there.”

“Um…”

I let out a pondering sound. My progress with the Three Treasure Technique had been sluggish until now, but I hadn’t fully understood the reason behind it. This unexpected answer had surfaced.

“The form of the Seven Stars Shadow is easy to mimic, but to properly use its intricacies requires considerable training time. If you examine it closely, every step in the Seven Stars Shadow causes variations in your breathing. While you’ve been using the Seven Stars Shadow, maintaining a high-level sense of a martial artist, the incorrect timing in your breathing has been causing the mishaps.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Well, consider it like minor differences accumulating into errors. The Seven Stars Shadow demands extreme precision in footwork.”

“The sect leader didn’t mention this…”

Indeed. The sect leader merely told me to practice hard and retrace my steps regarding the Three Treasure Technique, never mentioning breathing. Then Lee Cheong-un spoke up.

“The sect leader believes that with enough practice, you’ll eventually grasp that breathing and timing naturally. In reality, as you have tirelessly practiced the Three Treasure Technique, your timing has gradually improved. Having practiced thousands of times, it’s only natural, right? At this rate, you’ll probably be able to use it comfortably within three years.”

“Wow!”

“But right now, time is of the essence. There might be an urgent need to use the Three Treasure Technique at any moment. So, I’ll inject the rhythm of the Three Treasure Technique into you.”

“Inject?”

Lee Cheong-un nodded.

“From now on, I will continuously attack you without rest, using the Ranna Chul.”

“……!!”

“Of course, I will also make use of the variations and transformations. You can use the Three Treasure Technique to evade.”

“Can I counterattack?”

“Do as you please. If you can, that is.”

Swoosh…

Two semi-transparent spears appeared around Lee Cheong-un. Realizing they were spearheads made of intent rather than qi, I swallowed hard.

‘Using qi to command spears!’

If we include the wooden spear he was holding, that made three spears attacking me. In an ordinary situation, just creating and sustaining those spears would leave anyone utterly exhausted, but I knew that wasn’t the case here. My expression hardened as Lee Cheong-un chuckled.

“It seems you’ve realized.”

“Is it Hell Training?”

“Correct. As you know, I possess the Heavenly Spirit Pill, granting me effectively infinite stamina. And while you may not have it, you still possess tremendous internal power. If your stamina runs low, you can just convert your internal power, making it optimal conditions for Hell Training.”

My expression twisted in discomfort.

“Ugh… But in that case… I wouldn’t be able to eat, sleep, or take breaks…”

“Ha ha. You just have to keep dodging.”

Lee Cheong-un’s laugh felt ominous.

Hell Training!

Having experienced it before when training for Sword Strength, I knew how utterly hellish it was. I even doubted how I had succeeded back then. And if it was Lee Cheong-un, he could roll me like the Bright Dragon. I gazed at him with anxious eyes.

“Um… Wouldn’t it be better to search for offerings to present to the Heavenly Ruler instead? Even if I were to get a bit stronger, it wouldn’t significantly alter the overall situation…”

“Absolutely not! Even if we all die, you must acquire something!”

With firm words, Lee Cheong-un aimed his spear at me.

“Once you’ve embedded the rhythm of the Three Treasure Technique into you, I will inform you about the combinations our Thunder God Lineage has discovered. You must learn that. Only then can you enhance your strength more rapidly.”

“The combinations… you say? Then…”

“Of course, we’ve discovered more than just the Three Treasure Technique.”

Lee Cheong-un grinned.

“The King of Hell and the Three Treasure Technique are merely part of the possibilities in the Seven Great Techniques. Just knowing the potential will greatly reduce the time you need in the future.”

“Ugh…!!”

“Now, there’s no time for idle talk. I’m leaving.”

I realized there was no way out. I had never anticipated finding myself in Hell Training out of nowhere, but I had to do it. I steeled myself and replied.

“Yes!”

Whoosh!

The air tore as Lee Cheong-un’s thrust flew towards me.

‘It’s a speed I can dodge.’

I managed to evade the spear attack using the Three Treasure Technique. Following that, an application of the Ranna Chul came at me, but that too was dodgable. It seemed Lee Cheong-un was attacking me at a reasonable level without activating his acceleration. He could easily use the Thunderclap, yet he chose not to.

But what I thought was a long reprieve only lasted twenty seconds. After just twenty seconds, Lee Cheong-un suddenly began launching the spears he had summoned earlier while mixing in feints. In an instant, the entire space felt engulfed by spear shadows.

Fwoosh!

“Urk!!”

I screamed as I staggered backward. Just moments prior, the spear had come flying at an angle I hadn’t been able to dodge, piercing my forearm. As I hurriedly checked my arm, there were no wounds whatsoever.

“What?”

Lee Cheong-un grinned.

“That was made of intent, so it can inflict pain on your mind and nervous system alone. But if you take too many hits, you could die from the shock.”

Puff!

“Argh!!”

I screamed again as the spear found its way into my heart once more. Regardless, that pain was entirely real. I felt a sensation akin to being pierced by a long needle. While it wasn’t the level of being stabbed by a genuine spear, it was still adequately painful.

As I barely regained my composure and began using the Three Treasure Technique to evade again, Lee Cheong-un unleashed a seemingly endless series of thrusts akin to Asura.

Pabababa!

“Rannacha! Thrust!”

Swish!

An overwhelming barrage of spear strikes surged forward.

As Lee Cheong-un’s attack streaked past a hundred seconds, almost reaching two hundred seconds, I realized I was evading his attacks with a success rate of six out of ten. In other words, I was taking the brunt of the remaining four out of ten hits. Waves of pain from the intent surged through me, causing me to stagger, and Lee Cheong-un shouted.

“Focus! You’ve already acquired enough proficiency to dodge all these attacks using the Three Treasure Technique!”

“Ugh…”

“Feel the exact timing and align your focus! Achieve the state of ‘no self’ with precision akin to piercing a needle through!”

“……!!”

“Precision! That’s the essence of the Three Treasure Technique!”

Puff!

Of course, if I could have comprehended that advice straight away, I wouldn’t be suffering like this. After that, I spent roughly a thousand seconds engulfed in pain, running around as if I were on fire. Lee Cheong-un, as if necessitating a brief respite, lowered his spear and spoke.

“Now, stand up! Time is short.”

I coughed up blood and replied.

“Ugh… Wait… I can’t concentrate on my footwork because of the pain…”

“When did a martial artist from the Thunder God Lineage ever utter such weak words? Would you make such excuses even in real combat?”

After scoffing, Lee Cheong-un suddenly closed the distance and dealt a blow to me with his fist.

Thud!

“Kah!”

I was sent flying back a distance, barely activating my self-defense in time to avoid injury, but chills ran down my spine. What kind of goblin of a person is this?

“You couldn’t dodge again. Use the Three Treasure Technique.”

I spat out blood from my mouth.

“Ugh… It’s easy to say…”

“You’re thinking too hard. Your body has already memorized the precise timing and variations from the countless times you’ve practiced the Three Treasure Technique. Don’t resist the flow; let yourself accept it as water would.”

Lee Cheong-un’s eyes glimmered like those of a tiger.

“There’s no time for breaks, so convert your internal power to stamina! I won’t give you such warnings anymore.”

“Understood!!”

I replied hastily, gritting my teeth.

‘I get it now.’

In this incarnation, when Lee Kwang was faced with Lee Cheong-un, he didn’t resist at all and was completely deflated. Even when I last saw him in the Zhongnan Sect, he merely idolized the Thunder God Lineage’s disciple Lee Cheong-un. I had been puzzled about why Lee Kwang displayed such an awful temperament.

But now I understood. The disciple of the Thunder God Lineage, Lee Cheong-un! Although he often appeared gentle and composed, when training or dealing with students, he transformed into a fearsome presence akin to a tiger. He would undoubtedly wield brutal and ruthless techniques when confronting enemies of the Thunder God Lineage. It’s likely Lee Kwang acquired this extreme strictness from training under him.

‘There’s no other choice!’

It’s hellishly difficult and painful, but there’s no way around it! Being talentless, I have to endure this Hell Training to advance to the next level!

Thud!

Thud!

About seven days later, I finally concluded my infinite evasion training. I had continued dodging Lee Cheong-un’s endless spear strikes without eating, drinking, or sleeping. While Lee Cheong-un would occasionally grant me brief breaks for efficiency’s sake, those intervals were utterly infrequent. Exhausted and gasping for breath, I stood my ground.

Having expended so much stamina, my vision was getting blurry. I felt like collapsing and sleeping right then. My whole body was drenched in sweat and emanated a foul odor. With sunken eyes, I stared at a puddle of sweat on the ground when, all of a sudden, Lee Cheong-un attacked.

Whoosh!

It wasn’t just a simple thrust. Combined with the qi-infused spears, it became a three-strike combo from an unexpected angle! Most martial artists would likely falter to this sudden change, getting pierced through one of their vital points and meeting their end.

However, in that moment, I activated the Three Treasure Technique and dodged Lee Cheong-un’s attack. Seeing me evade, he finally lowered his spear and spoke.

“With this, you’ve shortened your training time by at least a year. Now you’ll be able to use what you have.”

“……”

I lacked the power to respond. Although Lee Cheong-un had bestowed immense training value upon me, the agony felt over those seven days of Hell Training was beyond measure. Ultimately, it was a training only someone with the Heavenly Spirit Pill, like Lee Cheong-un, could provide.

“Go wash up.”

Lee Cheong-un tossed his spear to one side.

“After a brief rest, I will inform you of the research findings of the Thunder God Lineage. This will take about two days.”

“… Why?”

“What do you mean?”

Gasping, I bit my lip despite being completely worn out.

“I’m only learning martial arts because it’s necessary. I don’t aim to reach the pinnacle of martial essence like you or the Master of the White Lotus Sect. No matter how much of a genius you are, what drove you to walk down this interminable, crazy path?”

“I don’t understand.”

When I questioned him, Lee Cheong-un smiled warmly.

“Isn’t it natural to be curious about what it means to be the best?”

“……”

“I absolutely despise the sect leader, and I wish to kill him to avenge myself. Still, this shared sentiment with the sect leader comes from my curiosity about what might be revealed once I reach the absolute realm of martial arts, the invincible Martial Extremity.”

“And if that realm turns out to be inferior to divine power?”

“That could be true, perhaps…”

Lee Cheong-un replied nonchalantly.

“Surpassing a god and overcoming nature… Claiming such reasons for pursuing the Martial Extremity is mere wordplay. As the sect leader said, that’s the curse of martial intent—a contradiction you can’t abandon before you reach it. The moment you think about why you’re pursuing it, you’ve already lost.”

“Then you can just give up! Why can’t you?”

“Ha ha. I’ll ask you in return. You could easily abandon your previous life and live comfortably, so why are you putting yourself through this hardship?”

“……”

“Just the same. Whether it’s you or me… we reject a flat existence, believing there’s something better beyond our current sight. There are various reasons behind that. It’s not something that can be easily defined in just a few words.”

Lee Cheong-un turned his head, continuing his speech.

“The only one who can define that is oneself! That’s why you and I are living here, right now.”

As if he sought a moment of rest, Lee Cheong-un disappeared into the bamboo forest. I stared at his vanishing figure for a while before clenching my fist. Normally, enduring this level of Hell Training would prompt a sigh or a sense of relief at having shed some weight; however, that wasn’t the case. The feeling of continuity dominated my heart.

Continuity in life.

Could that be the driving force that helps me endure?