NOVEL NEXT Chapter 638
Chapter 1 – Dark Heaven Village
“I went to meet Jin So-cheong and Geuk-ho. Ever since they received the obsidian from me, they had been continuously honing their martial arts. Of course, since it hadn’t been long since their rebirth, their martial skills hadn’t skyrocketed just yet, but the joy on their faces looked like they had shattered some walls. At this rate, the Jianghu would soon witness the rise of new absolute beings.”
Jin So-cheong spoke.
“Actually, my older brother and I have been teaching Tang San recently.”
“Tang San?”
Not long ago, I had received a request from her to take the young Tang San, accompanied by his mother, to Jangryeong Valley. The truth was, he was so young that I didn’t have high expectations, and I had only infused him with a memory of martial arts using the obsidian and left him be. Jin So-cheong nodded.
“He has an immense passion for martial arts and remarkable talent. Despite being just a child, he has mastered the basics of the Four Talents Sect and seemed to have memorized the advanced techniques just by peeking over someone’s shoulder. By all standards, he’s a genuine genius.”
“Hmm.”
“I never expected to be so amazed by someone else’s talent.”
That was understandable. With talent as immense as that, even without a fortuitous encounter, he could reach the Absolute Realm and become the strongest expert of the Four Talents Sect and the Poison King. I listened to Jin So-cheong, pondering the possibility and then asked.
“Wait a second. You’re not teaching Tang San the Thunder God Lineage, are you?”
“Indeed. He is capable of becoming stronger at a rapid pace.”
“Ugh, that…”
I felt a bit uneasy about it. No matter how little recognition there was around the successor of the Thunder God Lineage, it felt wrong to teach its techniques to someone carelessly. Just then, a shout echoed from the martial arts arena.
“Hey there, Baek Woong! Why are you hesitating? You’re being awfully stingy!”
“Tang San!”
Tang San spoke bluntly.
“What’s the big deal about teaching me the Thunder God Lineage? You’re going to kick the bucket soon anyway. Me practicing martial arts won’t be a loss to you, so why act so petty?”
“……”
That was a valid point. I scratched my head and said.
“Is your martial arts training going well?”
“Heh! My ultimate goal is to kill the clan leader of the Four Talents Sect, so I still have a long way to go. However, I could probably kill one or two of their masters now. With ambush tactics, I could aim even higher.”
“That’s impressive…”
I genuinely admired him. If he was confident enough to say he could take down the masters of the Four Talents Sect who wielded peak-level martial arts, then Tang San’s skills had developed to an unbelievable level for someone still a child. He might have already entered the Peak Expert stage. His talent was incomparable to mine.
‘Is he really going to reach the heights of peak mastery before he hits his twenties?’
Somehow, it left me feeling a bit disheartened, constantly confirming how lacking my own talent was. As I gazed at Tang San with complicated thoughts, he crossed his arms and said.
“I heard Jin So-cheong is becoming a disciple of the Master of the White Lotus Sect? Then while Jin So-cheong is away, you can become my master and teach me martial arts.”
“The Thunder God Lineage, you mean?”
“Yep.”
Tang San grinned.
“The Thunder God Lineage martial arts are fantastic. Without the formless poison considered an extreme, the martial arts of the Four Talents Sect are like garbage compared to the Thunder God Lineage! If I learn it, I am confident I can take my revenge within ten years, so hurry up and teach me!”
“Uh… Is it really that great?”
“Don’t you realize it, the master of the Thunder God Lineage? If they’re of similar skill levels, a master of the Thunder God Lineage can handle three or more masters of the Four Talents Sect. If they unleash the Decisive Enlightenment Thunderclap, more than that is possible. I believe the Thunder God Lineage qualifies as world-class martial arts.”
“……”
I suppose I hadn’t been able to appreciate the excellence of the Thunder God Lineage because I had been surrounded by such remarkable experts. Whenever I felt I could fight weaker foes, I was crushed by the absolute realm masters and the Dharma Guardians with infinite internal power. As I listened to him speak, I crossed my arms and said.
“Hey. But to be frank, the reason I’m mentoring you is that I want to grasp the secrets of the formless poison and gain insight later on. It’s not merely a favor. If you become a master of the Thunder God Lineage and abandon the martial arts of the Four Talents Sect, how would that benefit me?”
To be pragmatically honest, that was the case. Tang San’s formless poison had immense power and could potentially deal a fatal blow to even an Apostle or Demon King, which was why I was nurturing him. With a chuckle, Tang San responded to my question.
“Hahaha! I knew you’d say that. Don’t worry, once I take my revenge on the Four Talents Sect, I’ll memorize all their secrets and teach you.”
“I told you. The martial arts of the Four Talents Sect are garbage. Unlike the Thunder God Lineage, it wouldn’t take me more than three or four years to learn everything to the peak!”
“… Really?”
Looking at Tang San with disbelief, I could not determine his truthfulness. Above all, it was unbelievable that this brat could discern the superiority of the Thunder God Lineage and the martial arts of the Four Talents Sect in such a short time and calculate the time needed to reach the peak.
‘Is this what pure genius looks like?’
He was a different type from Jin So-cheong. Jin So-cheong seemed to live life with little interest in hidden grudges, whereas Tang San appeared inclined to maximize his talents while stepping on those inferior to him. The arrogance and cruelty of a genius seemed to shine brighter in Tang San. Of course, I had no way to compare their talents.
After my conversation with Tang San ended, I spoke to Jin So-cheong.
“Jin So-cheong. Let’s have a sparring match for the first time in a while.”
“Sounds good.”
*Crash!*
After creating three paces between us, we both drew our weapons. I had previously defeated Jin So-cheong like a toy, but that was before she had read the memories of my obsidian. Now that Jin So-cheong had absorbed my martial arts remembering through the Immortal Phoenix, I couldn’t predict how much she had progressed within such a short period.
*Clang!*
The initial clash occurred. I realized that despite Jin So-cheong’s internal power being enhanced thanks to the spiritual pill, the way she reacted to my attacks was entirely different now. And during the five clashes between sword and spear, I could gauge her skill level.
Jin So-cheong had already risen to a level where she could threaten my life!
It had long been since she shed the guise of a novice from our first fight.
‘Goodness… How long has it been since she started training…’
I was amazed. Of course, I was still far stronger at this point, but Jin So-cheong’s growth speed was still incomprehensible. Deciding to give my all in this spar, I put every absolute slash I knew into our fight.
*Boom!*
With the final clash of our powers, the sparring session of over five hundred moves came to an end. Jin So-cheong’s body was drenched in sweat, while I had shown no change in my breathing, reflecting the gap in our internal powers and skills. Jin So-cheong smiled brightly and said.
“Haha! It was satisfying after such a long time.”
“I’m afraid. Your talent seems limitless…”
“… Hmm? Baek Woong. Is there something you want to say?”
Understanding my inner thoughts, Jin So-cheong nodded, and I handed her the Immortal Phoenix.
*Woosh!*
Memories of Yeodong-bin were conveyed to Jin So-cheong. She pondered on those memories for a long time before donning a careful expression.
“Indeed… You wonder about the Martial God.”
“That’s right.”
I stroked my chin and continued speaking.
“Until now, I didn’t have a good idea of what the Martial God was, but I finally feel like I have a clue. Yeodong-bin enhanced his skills by drawing spirals within infinite space, and there was definitely a being who communicated with him through words.”
“……”
“Jin So-cheong, you mentioned you have met the Martial God. This Martial God told you ‘I will not give up even if I see a thousand years of spring,’ right?”
“Yes.”
“Doesn’t it sound a bit different? The entity that Yeodong-bin encountered in that infinite space was, in essence, closer to an omnipotent divine being free from good or evil and intent. Yet the Martial God you met in your childhood seemed almost like a human?”
“Hmm…”
Jin So-cheong appeared to be deep in thought. After some time, she replied.
“Now that you mention it, I can’t quite recall the face of the Martial God I met back then.”
“Someone with a good memory like you?”
“It’s all hazy and clouded, almost as if it has drifted away in the mist.”
“That entity must have placed restrictions on you.”
I stood up and said firmly.
“It is now certain. Jin So-cheong, you must meet the Master of the White Lotus Sect and ask him about the Martial God he encountered. How different is the Martial God in your memory?”
“I guess so. I’m very curious about it.”
How intriguing it was.
Jin So-cheong, Yeodong-bin, the Master of the White Lotus Sect, Jang Sam-bong –
‘I need to know.’
Until now, I had felt that human martial arts were trivial when pitted against cosmic beings and mighty gods, yet despite that, martial arts continually displayed possibilities. The Jin So-cheong of the future, who comprehended the Ultimate Technique, defeated the Nine Lotus Bishop, and the Yeodong-bin of the past also vanquished the Dragon of Destruction with the help of the Martial God. Perhaps the only method for mere humans to confront the Old Ruler was to reach the extreme of martial arts!
To achieve this, I must uncover what kind of existence the Martial God, who seems already reached, is and how I can draw power from him.
‘And… also about the merger of chaos and primordial void that the Master of the White Lotus Sect knows!’
If I could discover the source of the incredible power the Master of the White Lotus Sect holds, I could rapidly become stronger. In many ways, infiltrating Jin So-cheong into the White Lotus Sect was a necessary step.
At that moment, Geuk-ho interjected.
“Oh, by the way. Did you find out what the blessing of the Celestial Sage is?”
“Huh?”
“You’ve received it all this time without knowing what it is, haven’t you?”
“……”
Now that I thought about it, I did receive a blessing from the Celestial Sage in exchange for my offering, but I had no idea what it was! As I sat there dumbfounded, Geuk-ho scratched his head and said.
“Isn’t it kind of essential to know what it is so you can use it later?”
“Hmm… But it feels awkward to call the Celestial Sage on purpose…”
“And besides, you promised the Celestial Sage you would write a story about him.”
“Oh, right.”
I had barely remembered that from the past, but Geuk-ho seemed to recall it well. He continued.
“Do you know how to write stories?”
“……”
I remained silent, then honestly replied.
“Hmm… I’ve saved some money to enjoy reading stories since it got trendy, but to be truthful, I’ve never written one.”
In my previous life, as I grew older, the popular tales of the Jianghu were often creatively reconstructed into martial arts novels. Clan leaders from influential families in the realm would seek story writers to make themselves the protagonists! I, too, followed the trend and enjoyed reading martial arts novels.
“Of course. I figured as much. What will you do when the Celestial Sage comes back to ask you if you wrote the story?”
“I planned to make excuses about not having written it yet.”
“I doubt that monkey is that simple-minded… Have you never even attempted to write a luận or thesis? You’ve only learned knowledge but never tried to write.”
“Ugh.”
Geuk-ho’s words struck home. Seeing my flustered expression, he chuckled softly.
“Well, if the Sword Demon or Bright Dragon takes a few months to prepare their schemes for Jin So-cheong, you might as well train to become a novelist in the meantime, right?”
“A novelist?”
“Yeah. I picked up quite a bit while serving as a guard in the Gi-ro, there are actually a few renowned novelists in the area around Luoyang. How about seeking them out to learn how to write stories? They ought to be natural storytellers.”
“Hmm…”
That doesn’t sound too bad.
If I become a good novelist and the story about the Celestial Sage gains popularity, maybe the Celestial Sage will feel pleased and grant me even more powerful blessings or treasures! This wasn’t just a baseless scheme, it was actually worth trying.
“Let’s do it! Do you know any novelists?”
“I’ve heard that Feng Menglong, who lives in Oukyo, writes well. I’ve seen a wealthy guy bragging about how entertaining the story ‘Three Words’ was at the Guanzhong Gi-ro.”
“Oh!”
“Of course, I don’t know much more than that, so you should find someone who knows better and ask them.”
“Of course.”
That someone who knows better – there’s definitely one person among my companions!
*Woosh!*
I headed to Mount Huang. Then I dived into the hut where Mangnyang leisurely practiced ancient techniques and suddenly shouted.
“Mangnyang!! I need to find a novelist.”
“I was wondering when you’d come! Let’s go find a famous novelist together.”
“Do you know anyone?”
“Not just know, I’m well-acquainted!”
He smiled broadly.
“I was once famed in Luoyang’s literary circles. I have connections with most of the famous talents in Luoyang. No one in the Ming Empire knows more novelists or storytellers than me!”