Chapter 245: Chapter 245

Celestial Realm

The day had come for us to revisit Dragon King’s Valley with the Sword Demon. As we arrived, I could feel that same potent energy waiting for us as before, and soon enough, the owner of that energy, Dokgo Seong, appeared before us.

Dokgo Seong raised his eyebrows and said,

“I shall give you my answer.”

After a moment, he continued,

“I will accept your request. That fellow Baek Woong shall be taught the techniques of the Thunder God Lineage that I know.”

“Thank you for your kindness.”

“However…”

Dokgo Seong slowly descended from the heavens with techniques of the Heavenly Sovereign. Just as his final step touched the ground, an additional condition reached our ears.

“I wish to know something. You must share your information honestly, without concealing anything.”

“Of course. I will reveal all that I know.”

The Sword Demon replied readily, and Dokgo Seong glanced at us and asked,

“What do you know about the White Lotus Sect and the Thunder God Lineage? And if you have knowledge about other successors, please share.”

I looked at the Sword Demon, who sent me a silent message.

[Share what you can. Just avoid anything too close to home.]

[Understood.]

Following my Master’s guidance, I began to explain everything I knew about the Thunder God Lineage, the Four Great Styles, the current situation and framework of the White Lotus Sect, the abilities of the Sect Leader and Dharma Protector, and the efforts the White Lotus Sect has been making to find a cure for the Young Master.

“Um…”

As the story progressed, Dokgo Seong’s expression morphed oddly. It didn’t seem to be confusion from hearing something absurd, but rather a look that questioned how I knew so much detail. I continued with information about the successors of the Thunder God Lineage.

“As far as I know, the successors of the Thunder God Lineage include Lee Kwang and the Thunderbolt Three Saints. Of course, there’s also Jin So-cheong, who is a disciple of Lee Kwang, and while unconfirmed, I believe Lee Kwang has additional successors under his wing.”

“Well… that makes sense. Lee Kwang surely has the duty to carry on the teachings of the sect. And as for the Thunderbolt Three Saints, they can take care of themselves.”

Speaking as if to himself, Dokgo Seong mumbled.

“I’d like to hear more about Lee Kwang. Where is he now, and what is he doing?”

“Lee Kwang is the guardian of Guanzhong’s Qinglong Martial Arts, known as Samjeol. While he may not be widely recognized in Jianghu, he actually operated as one of the elite enforcers, the Qinglong, at the previous Imperial Palace.”

“… The Imperial Palace? Qinglong?”

“Yes.”

“……”

Dokgo Seong’s expression shifted to one of incredulity, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Then he said,

“Alright. Leaving that aside, what about Jin So-cheong, the disciple Lee Kwang accepted? What does he do?”

“A genius of unparalleled caliber.”

“……!!”

“There’s no way Lee Kwang would have accepted someone who wasn’t extraordinary.”

“Well… that makes sense…”

As I muttered with a sense of pride, Dokgo Seong turned to the Sword Demon and said,

“Sword Demon. Knowing the inner tales of the Thunder God Lineage, why have you not placed this child in their ranks?”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean.”

“The Thunder God Lineage is currently in a dire struggle for survival. Surely you understand that placing him among the same sect would be beneficial for both parties. Why are you bearing unnecessary risks?”

The Sword Demon’s eyes glinted as he responded,

“Threatened? Really?”

“… What do you mean?”

“I see the Thunder God Lineage receiving considerable leniency from the White Lotus Sect.”

“What?!”

“Isn’t that correct?”

The Sword Demon continued without any emotion.

“From what I know, the current key successor, Samjeol Lee Kwang, is being watched closely by the Wind Spirit Sect. If the Dharma Protector had sent out his elite, or if the White Lotus Sect mobilized their masters, the Thunder God Lineage would have been obliterated long ago. However, for some reason, the White Lotus Sect only seems to be keeping tabs without taking any direct action.”

“Hmm!”

“The same goes for the Thunderbolt Three Saints. They claim to operate in secrecy, managing the Red Dragon Gate and Black Moon Society, but if the White Lotus Sect decided to spread their information network, they would be caught in no time. They’ve survived up till now solely because the White Lotus Sect couldn’t be bothered.”

Each statement from the Sword Demon coldly and objectively assessed the current state of the Thunder God Lineage. He had a distinct perspective, different from that of Mangnyang, allowing him to gauge the situation in Jianghu. That’s why Dokgo Seong couldn’t muster a proper counterargument and remained speechless.

“There must have been a command from the Sect Leader of the White Lotus Sect behind this. Though the Dharma Protector of the Wind Spirit Sect, Yong Bi-cheon, might want to obliterate the Thunder God Lineage right now, the Sect Leader must have issued a stern order to refrain from doing so. In other words, you have been living comfortably for decades due to the mercy of the Sect Leader.”

“……”

“I would think that recklessly sending a disciple to Lee Kwang’s side or stirring the Wind Spirit Sect would be a far more dangerous action for the Thunder God Lineage, don’t you think? Besides, do you even know what the Sect Leader of the White Lotus Sect is truly aiming for? What the real meaning is behind their movements? You can’t possibly think it’s advantageous to send yourself to the Thunder God Lineage’s master without a survival plan.”

Gulp!

The Sword Demon’s logic was so sound that Dokgo Seong sucked in a sharp breath. After standing there dumbfounded for a while, he remarked,

“You really know so much.”

“Anyway, you’ve made a promise with your own mouth; you must teach Baek Woong the techniques of the Thunder God Lineage. However, prior to that, I have something to know.”

“What is it?”

“You claim to be a master of the Thunder God Lineage, but you haven’t said anything about your lineage or why you are hiding out here in Dragon King’s Valley. I would like that clarified.”

“Fair enough. It seems necessary to explain.”

It seemed our information had moved his heart, as Dokgo Seong decided to reveal himself. He glanced at us for a moment before continuing,

“Once again, I will introduce myself. I am Dokgo Seong, a member of the Thunder God Lineage and the older brother of the former Dharma Protector, Lee Cheong-un. In relation to that Lee Kwang you mentioned, I can be considered his senior.”

“……!!”

The older brother of the former Dharma Protector of the Thunder God Lineage!

That would mean he was effectively equal to or greater than the Thunderbolt Three Saints. There were likely very few people in the current White Lotus Sect who had a higher age or rank than Dokgo Seong. If that were the case, it meant he had exceeded a hundred years old. Upon hearing this, the Sword Demon asked him,

“So, you were present on the day the Thunder God Lineage was destroyed?”

“No, I was not there.”

Dokgo Seong shook his head.

“I had already left the White Lotus Sect before that. I wanted to have time for personal martial arts training, and I received permission from the Dharma Protector. It was only later that I learned the Thunder God Lineage had been expelled by the Sect Leader.”

“So, you have been living in Dragon King’s Valley since half a century ago?”

“Yes.”

Only then did I begin to understand Dokgo Seong’s oddly detached attitude.

He was a senior at the Thunder God Lineage, but he had originally left the White Lotus Sect for his martial arts training. If he heard that the Thunder God Lineage had perished, there was no way for him to confirm it directly. He would just have to continue training in Dragon King’s Valley while waiting for the future. Such a person would understandably find it perplexing to get tangled up in discussions about the revival of the Thunder God Lineage.

The Sword Demon remarked,

“Regardless, you should have come out to the Central Plains to collect the remaining Thunder God Lineage members.”

“… That was done by Jun himself.”

“Jun? You are referring to the Dharma Protector of the Thunder God Lineage, Dokgo Jun?”

Dokgo Seong nodded.

“I joined the Thunder God Lineage seeking their martial arts, having left the Dokgo clan, but technically, he and I are cousins. Knowing that I was in Dragon King’s Valley, he soon came to visit me and said that the Sect Leader had decided not to pursue the Thunder God Lineage any longer. He advised me to refrain from acting rashly and promised to safeguard our lineage.”

“So, you were indeed part of the Thunder God Lineage.”

“I have severed ties with the clan now.”

The details were becoming clear. The Sword Demon seemed to have confirmed that Dokgo Seong’s story was true and looked deep in thought. Then he said,

“It seems your reluctance to enter the Central Plains was not solely due to that reason. Were you perhaps in the midst of perfecting your martial arts?”

“That’s correct.”

Dokgo Seong crossed his arms and said,

“It would be the height of foolishness to venture into the Jianghu before perfecting my own martial arts. Training here has been my best choice, for I must acquire the strength to counter the Dharma Protector.”

“Are you referring to the martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good to hear. Then I’d like to ask you a question.”

“What is it?”

The Sword Demon shot me a glance. Understanding his cue, I stepped forward and said,

“I have indeed mastered the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique among the Thunder God Lineage’s sword techniques, and I only have the Thunder Dragon Sword left to learn. However, as far as I know, there’s a final technique of the Thunder God Lineage’s swordsmanship that I can only attain after completing the Thunder Dragon Sword.”

Dokgo Seong stared blankly at me before responding.

“Yes.”

“What is that ultimate technique?”

“Didn’t your master tell you what it is?”

“When I was young, I was too busy learning the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique.”

“That makes sense…”

Muttering to himself, Dokgo Seong replied,

“The final technique of the Thunder God Lineage’s swordsmanship is the Thunder God Sword Dance.”

“The Thunder God Sword Dance? Does that mean the dance of the Thunder God?”

“Exactly.”

Dokgo Seong looked up at the sky and continued,

“Unlike many practical sword techniques, the swordsmanship of the Thunder God Lineage has developed as part of a sacrificial rite. The Thunder Shadow Sword Technique served as the protective martial art for priests, while the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique was a dance full of transformations used in the sacrificial rituals. The Thunder Dragon Sword is utilized during rites to harness the power of heavenly thunder, ultimately showing maximum respect to the god through the Thunder God Sword Dance.”

“……!!”

“Mastering the Thunder God Sword Dance signifies that you have the capabilities of a priest. It also qualifies you to become the Sect Leader of the White Lotus Sect.”

Dokgo Seong’s answer was utterly unexpected.

‘Could it really be that?’

Lee Kwang had repeatedly commented on my swordsmanship being weak while teaching me. I had thought it was merely because he had a strong sense of pride in his spear skills. But in reality, it was because the swordsmanship of the Thunder God Lineage and its origins were primarily suited for sacrificial rites rather than actual combat. Though I had heard about the origins of the sword techniques, I never imagined they would be related to the position of Sect Leader.

The Sword Demon, who was listening intently, remarked,

“If that’s the case, then the Thunder God Sword Dance must also be a martial art of the ideation phase, huh? It seems like one can only utilize it after fully understanding both the transformations of the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique and the pathways of the Thunder Dragon Sword.”

“Exactly.”

“If you consider the ultimate technique Thunder God Sword Dance confronting the ultimate techniques of the Thunder God Lineage’s spear arts, what do you think would happen? Let’s assume their mastery levels are the same.”

Upon hearing the Sword Demon’s question, Dokgo Seong winced as if struck in a sensitive spot. After a moment of clenching his teeth, he responded,

“The spear arts would win with a 90% probability.”

“Just as I thought.”

Dokgo Seong went on to explain,

“It’s not as if the Thunder God Sword Dance lacks practicality. Without a doubt, a master of the Thunder God Sword Dance can become one of the highest-tier masters in Jianghu. However, the spear arts, refined through countless battles over a millennium, have become the strongest technique in Jianghu itself. If they are of equal mastery, the spear master will always hold the upper hand.”

As I listened to that, I began to understand what the Sword Demon had been worried about.

‘The sword is weaker than the spear…’

In the ideation phase of martial arts, masters can bridge the gaps of each other’s techniques with ideation-level skills. However, the inherent advantage that spears possess wouldn’t vanish. If the sword technique does not utilize an ideation-level maneuver, it may continue to lag behind in conflicts with spear techniques.

What the Sword Demon was concerned about was that even if I fully mastered the Thunder Dragon Sword and entered the final technique, the results might not be as favorable as expected!

Given the same effort, spear techniques could likely be considerably stronger than the Thunder God Sword Dance. Perhaps Lee Kwang had felt free to teach me that final sword technique knowing that swordsmanship had limitations.

But this wasn’t something I could blame on Lee Kwang. After all, Lee Kwang had repeatedly mentioned that the spear was supreme, yet I chose to follow the path that suited me better, which was swordsmanship. This should be seen as a limitation that the martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage inherently possessed.

As I struggled to find the words to respond, the Sword Demon added,

“Dokgo Seong, did you perhaps retreat to Dragon King’s Valley to overcome the limitations of the Thunder God Lineage’s swordsmanship?”

“… Such a frightening insight. How could you guess that?”

Dokgo Seong sighed. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“That’s right. I have felt the limitations of the Thunder God Lineage’s swordsmanship acutely since seventy years ago. Since then, I have been contemplating how to improve it. Eventually, a few years before the downfall of the Thunder God Lineage, I decided to isolate myself to study swordsmanship. I believed that the swordsmanship of the Thunder God Lineage had the potential to surpass even the Thunder God Sword Dance.”

“Have you had any success?”

“……”

Dokgo Seong fell silent for a moment before responding,

“Sword Demon, do you know why I am able to talk about such secrets so freely?”

“What do you mean?”

“Entrust this child to me as a disciple. If you do, I will consider imparting the essence of the Thunder God Lineage’s swordsmanship to him. If you cannot do that, then I cannot accept this child as my disciple.”

“That was my intention from the start.”

“However, you must also agree to one more thing.”

A glimmer of madness shone in Dokgo Seong’s eyes. It was the kind of madness that only a master who devoted his life to martial arts could possess.

“Do not hold me responsible if this child dies during his training.”

What kind of grueling training was he planning to put me through?

As that grim realization settled in, I felt a chill run down my spine. After a moment of silence, the Sword Demon finally replied,

“Of course. I’d rather it be that way.”

“The words of a young man are as good as gold.”

“I will come again soon. At that time, we may begin the transmission right away.”

“I will be waiting.”

Swish!

The Sword Demon and I exited Dragon King’s Valley. Feeling a bit anxious, I turned to the Sword Demon and said,

“Master, I haven’t fully mastered the Grinding Sword and the Heavenly Pillar Sword yet. Learning the profound secrets of the Thunder God Lineage right now…!”

“What are you saying? Would you truly master that?”

The Sword Demon looked at me in disbelief.

“That’s a huge waste of time. You must have known your growth has stagnated for several years.”

“… Yes.”

Indeed, under the Sword Demon’s careful guidance, I had been practicing the techniques of Zhang Sanfeng, including the Grinding Sword and Heavenly Pillar Sword, for several years now, but my growth had been remarkably slow. The Sword Demon continued,

“It’s exceedingly challenging for a natural genius to fully master the Seven Great Techniques of the Wudang Sect over a lifetime. If you truly pursue the mastery of the Grinding Sword and Heavenly Pillar Sword, it would take you at least a hundred years.”

“Ugh…”

“That’s why we need another opportunity. While mastering the essence of the Thunder God Lineage sword techniques, you will elevate your own enlightenment and martial experience. I believe that will stimulate you and help break through your current stagnation.”

“… Is that possible?”

It’s easy to say, but I knew executing such a theory would be extremely challenging. How hard had it been to earn enlightenment to reach martial peak of my own? If I fell short in enlightenment and got stuck worse than before, I could end up even more miserable than I currently was.

After a moment of silence, the Sword Demon said,

“Well, we have to believe. Otherwise, you’ll never surpass Lee Kwang in a hundred years.”

“……”

The Sword Demon and I used Teleportation to return to the Shadowless Gate. There, he said,

“We need to stabilize the gate to proceed with the next plan. For a few days, you should stretch your body and review your martial arts.”

“What is the next plan?”

The Sword Demon reclined in his chair and replied,

“I’ll tell you after you duel Lee Kwang.”

I gulped.

The day of fighting Lee Kwang as the third party was finally approaching.