전생검신 Volume 89 Chapter 5

After that, I learned the advanced techniques of Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts from Lee Gang-ryong.

“My internal power is already more than sufficient, so there’s no need to discuss it further. Plus, your mind and intent are superior to mine, so I have nothing to teach you. But the skills—now that’s a different story, so I’ll add a few comments.”

“There’s no need to be so humble. Just because I’ve stepped into the divine realm doesn’t mean I’ve demonstrated genius in all martial arts of the world.”

“Ha ha. That was so honest it makes me feel a bit embarrassed.”

Lee Gang-ryong cleared his throat as if to shake off his embarrassment before continuing.

“Right, that’s true. Just because your level is high doesn’t mean you’ve become a genius in martial arts. So focus on what I’m about to teach you.”

“Got it.”

“Actually, Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts isn’t suitable for dullards to learn either. There are a whopping 54 techniques and combinations involving the transmission of thunder spirits through internal energy for precise operations. From the beginning, it’s a technique focused on skills.”

“Hmm! Lee Cheong-un didn’t seem to know this…”

“Didn’t Lee Kwang mention it? Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts is based on the martial arts I developed while in the Central Plains, refined through practical experience in the West. I was unable to return to the White Lotus Sect after working as a mercenary, and so I couldn’t teach that kid.”

“……”

As I listened to Lee Gang-ryong, doubt crept in.

“What’s the point of creating Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts when the existing techniques of the Thunder God Lineage are already sophisticated and powerful? I can’t follow your reasoning for creating a skill-focused technique.”

“Well, isn’t it obvious? When I was in the West, I needed even more precise operations during actual battles. Especially against demons.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let me explain it simply.”

Whoooosh!!

Lee Gang-ryong stood up, clenched his fist, concentrated his thunder energy, and emitted a powerful aura of the Thunder God Fist. After a moment, he struck a massive boulder in front of him at a speed invisible to the eye, shattering it to pieces in an instant.

Boom!!

“How was that?”

“What do you mean, how was it? That was an impressive move.”

I wasn’t just throwing empty words. Just now, Lee Gang-ryong’s technique demonstrated a complete integration of mind, technique, and body—essentially nearing the ultimate martial arts realm achievable by a human. Even if I poured my heart into it, I doubted I could land a more perfect hit than that.

“Right. In the Central Plains, if you land this effectively, the peak experts and everyone else would be wiped out. Piercing Protection Energy is not particularly hard. But in the West, there are just too many that don’t die.”

“……Huh? What do you mean?”

“What do you mean, what? Those who belong to the demons often have multiple lives and regeneration abilities, and there are even cases where they are so numerous that if you can’t find their core, you can’t kill them at all. I used to rush in blindly, relying only on martial arts and almost died many times.”

“Ah…!!”

I suddenly understood what Lee Gang-ryong meant. According to him, the [Old Ruler] and his minions were truly evil monsters, possessing an unimaginable regenerative power and vitality that defied human logic. I knew from experience that common sense from the martial arts world didn’t apply to those kinds of beings.

Lee Gang-ryong looked down at the shattered boulder and said.

“Even with such thorough destruction, there were times when tentacles leaped at me out of nowhere, as if alive. The only way to deal with that is through experience, yet there were often times when experience fell short. There were just too many frightening monsters…”

“I understand.”

I could truly empathize with Lee Gang-ryong’s words. Having faced countless monsters in my past life, I understood their strength.

“So what should I do? No matter how much a peerless master’s reflexes exceed those of a human, there’s still a limit. Blocking or dodging is terribly difficult, especially when even a glancing touch can deal a fatal wound. How would one survive against such evil foes?”

“The answer lies in skill, doesn’t it?”

As I speculated, Lee Gang-ryong nodded.

“It’d be best if you were simply strong like you are, but if that’s not possible, you have to use skills to break through. For example, like this…”

Lee Gang-ryong reached for a nearby boulder and, similarly to before, unleashed the Thunder God Fist.

Bang!!

This time, the boulder didn’t shatter. However, I noticed that its interior was hollowed out like a cave.

‘In an instant, he’s sliced through the inside space with his thunder energy!’

Crackle! Crackle!

It didn’t stop there. The boulder crackled, showing that even after the hit, the thunder energy continued to affect it. Lee Gang-ryong watched with satisfaction as he said.

“This is the technique I use often in Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts—Absolute Dragon Seal. First, you carve away the core inside the enemy with a cutting skill, then wrap them with thunder energy to continuously damage them and additionally stun them with electric shock.”

“……If it were used against a human in the Central Plains, it would be a terribly cruel technique…”

If used on a human, they wouldn’t die cleanly. After being disemboweled, the pain of being electrocuted would surely cause them to squirm and writhe like a bug. As I murmured, Lee Gang-ryong added.

“Sure, it would be so for humans. But for demon beasts, such effective techniques are rare. Demon beasts have exceptionally high resistance to direct slashing and piercing attacks, so immobilizing them and making them waste their vitality is the most efficient approach.”

“Hm, true, there’s no need to be so complex with humans. It truly is an excellent martial art for hunting demon beasts.”

“Ha ha, once you try using it yourself, you’ll see just how great it is.”

Lee Gang-ryong said that and extended his palm, focusing the moving thunder energy to make it visually tangible. He showed off the buzzing, alive thunder energy swirling around his palm, and said.

“The key is this. In the Central Plains, Thunder Arts were most often used for merely amplifying attack power, but in Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts, it’s crucial to apply the intricate properties of thunder. Additionally, all techniques of Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts are tailored to ‘efficiently capture demon beasts,’ so understanding this will help you better grasp the martial art.”

“Hmm… I see.”

Afterward, I learned the complex advanced techniques of Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts and their linked skills from Lee Gang-ryong. In my spare time, I taught him about the Soul of the Evil God, and we each trained rigorously for a day.

About three months passed like this. I started to gradually understand the essence of the Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts that Lee Gang-ryong taught.

‘There are many variations of basic skills. However, since they were all designed to suppress enemies who are overconfident in their infinite vitality, once you grasp that purpose, they surprisingly become easy to master.’

There must be at least over a thousand derived skills. But I felt it didn’t matter if I memorized all of them. Because these fundamental skills were adaptable to different situations and could be used flexibly as long as I understood their purpose.

The reason was simple. Each of these skills contained the experiences of Lee Gang-ryong battling countless horrifying demon beasts from an otherworldly realm. It felt like there were traces of his struggles to defeat all sorts of alien monsters boasting their immortality.

‘And Lee Gang-ryong must have figured out the most effective ways to seal immortality through his experiences in combat.’

There probably wasn’t anyone better than him at hunting the immortal beings. He may not brag or show it, but if you threw him into Aokigahara Life Sea, he would be the one capable of defeating opponents with the greatest ease among all the experts I had encountered.

Truly, a mercenary of the Ancient Gods!

Moreover, Lee Gang-ryong, who was training alongside me, showed notable progress in achieving the mastery of the Soul of the Evil God. I watched him in admiration.

“Impressive. It seems you’re progressing several times faster than Lee Kwang or Shim Su-ryeok in mastering the Soul of the Evil God.”

Lee Gang-ryong, who sat cross-legged, replied.

“Aren’t the conditions for easily mastering the Soul of the Evil God a strong thunder spirit and understanding of thunder energy? Since I possess both of those, it seems I’m advancing quickly.”

“Right.”

“More importantly, good thing you came by. I just thought of a method for you to enhance your proficiency in Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts.”

“What is it?”

“Well, I believe you have experience hunting many monsters. Therefore, you seem to have a good grasp of the intent behind Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts. Even if the precision of the basic skills might be a bit lacking, it’s good enough to be effective.”

Lee Gang-ryong’s eyes sparkled.

“So, while battling demon beasts, you should practice Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts. That’s the training method best suited for you.”

“……!!”

I was taken aback. Training while fighting demon beasts? I had never seen or even heard of such a training method.

I stammered in confusion.

“No… I get that it’s a suitable martial art for hunting demon beasts, but what do you mean? Can you elaborate more specifically?”

“Hmm. To put it simply, it’s like how mercenaries in the battlefield raise their practical swordsmanship levels. When you risk your life fighting an opponent, you experience firsthand when and why to use each technique, as well as their effects. However, since Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts is specialized for battles against demon beasts rather than humans, you need to directly experience it to understand better.”

“A demon beast… how should I prepare for that?”

“What’s there to it? Just create the demon beasts you’ve encountered using your divine power. If that’s too much trouble, simply emit demon energy from your power and sit in a corner; demon beasts will be born naturally over time.”

“Hmm! So that’s how it works… I’ll give it a shot.”

As I turned to attempt the new training method suggested by Lee Gang-ryong, he called out to me.

“Oh, one more thing to be cautious about.”

“What is it?”

“While you fight the demon beasts you create, seal most of your powers, including your divine energy. You should rely solely on your martial arts, and restrict your internal power to that of a peak expert. Don’t use the Soul of the Evil God either. If a demon beast injures or wounds you, you can’t use divine power to heal. Don’t invoke the Wheel King’s powers, and if you end up in a dire state, just accept your death.”

I was stunned by Lee Gang-ryong’s words.

“……?! Why not?! That’s way too dangerous.”

According to that, I would essentially be sealing almost all my powers while fighting. Even I could die to a demon beast in that case.

“It’s dangerous, but that’s how training works. Do you know the greatest weakness of an immortal?”

“What is it?”

“Carelessness. Since living beings suffer from diminished combat power even from slight injuries, they must remain on guard at all times. However, if they become aware of their immortal nature, they’ll unintentionally let their guard down. You’re essentially god-like, far beyond an immortal, so if you don’t consciously restrict yourself, you won’t gain any training benefits.”

“……!!”

“Remember my words well. You must feel the ‘need’ for Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts. The mindset to dedicate everything you have for martial arts is vital.”

“……Understood.”

Boom!

I left the place where Lee Gang-ryong was and teleported to a desolate area. As I released powerful demon energy from my body and sat still, I could gradually sense the emergence of demon beasts responding to my energy, just as he said. Once enough demon beasts had spawned, I planned to begin my training.

But I found myself entangled in some worry.

‘Oh damn… this seems intense… do I really have to do this?’

While I’d hunted many demon beasts in Aokigahara Life Sea or during my past life adventures, it was never a pleasant experience. It wasn’t merely wielding martial arts; the intense vitality and sneaky surprise attacks of the demon beasts made them extremely tricky opponents. I knew that battling such beings, no matter how superior my martial arts may be, could exhaust my concentration, leaving me vulnerable to a potential death.

‘In the past, when I faced demon beasts, I often hid or fled whenever I sensed trouble. Now, charging in barehanded… damn it… this is truly a burdensome training method.’

……

Still, compared to the countless agonies I endured while stuck at the wall of martial arts, flirting with death a few times may not matter. I steeled my determination and decided to challenge the training of Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts.

Rooooar!

Soon, due to my demon energy, hundreds of miles around became filled with demon beasts. After a moment, I sealed my divine power briefly and constrained my internal power to the level I had when I first challenged Aokigahara Life Sea. As I slowly emerged from the cave, formidable-looking demon beasts revealed themselves within the darkened forest.

I charged at the demon beasts, shouting out.

“Haah!!”

Flash!

In an instant, I sliced through the nearby demon beasts with thunder-infused swordplay. Satisfied with having wiped out as many as sixteen large and medium-sized demon beasts, I was about to leave when I had an ominous feeling of a surprise attack coming.

Swish!

“……!!”

If not for my ability to read [the Flow], I would’ve definitely been hit this time!

I barely avoided the strike, but it had been a surprisingly unexpected attack. As I dodged instinctively, I countered with my sword, but then another unexpected event occurred.

Boom!!

The instant my sword impacted the flesh, it exploded, sending chunks flying in all directions. I managed to avoid any of the pieces hitting me, but I frowned as I watched the chunks come together again, with demon beasts resurrecting from them.

‘Hmm. Is this what Lee Gang-ryong meant?’

It seemed easy to wipe out demon beasts with thunder-infused sword strikes, but they were far from simple enough to fall from just one clean blow. Their vitality was exceptionally strong, and they had tremendous resistance to cuts. In other words, the martial arts I normally practiced against humans were not effective against demon beasts.

‘When I fought in Aokigahara Life Sea, I calmly observed the enemy’s movements, avoiding hits while striking once or twice before finally targeting their core. But if I had to engage in such tedious battles here, it would take too long.’

I thought as I held my sword and muttered to myself.

“It’s time to use Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts.”

The ‘need’ I felt at the moment was likely the training intent that Lee Gang-ryong had in mind.

Bang!

I waited until the demon beasts regenerated before charging back in to stab quickly.

Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts!

Absolute Dragon Seal!

Boom!

The demon beasts struck by the Absolute Dragon Seal didn’t fall immediately but staggered. Almost coming to a halt, they soon fell one by one, writhing as they were electrocuted.

Thud thud!

Among them, one of the beasts that had been viciously exploding chunks also tired itself out and fell over, having had its core crushed by the Absolute Dragon Seal.

[Graaarrr.]

Yet among them, some beasts with numerous lives began to regenerate and rushed at me again. I contemplated on how to handle them.

Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts!

Thunder Dragon Strike!

Bam!

I struck the creature with both hands, causing waves to ripple through its body. It staggered and froze in place, and soon after, it spurted blood and died. However, even as it was dying, it resurrected, and despite that, the waves continued to ripple, causing it to keep dying and reviving, consuming its own life force.

[Grrr….]

“Works like a charm.”

I was highly satisfied with the effectiveness of the Thunder Dragon Strike. It could not be otherwise; this technique was intended for such purposes.

‘Demon beasts that revive upon death… I can bind them with the ripple of the thunder and make them waste their vitality… this is the true power of the Thunder Dragon Strike!!’

If I had learned the secret techniques of Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts through the martial arts world, I might have been confused about the meaning of the Thunder Dragon Strike. After all, just hitting the opponent with thunder energy was the only important step. However, when facing demon beasts, I immediately realized why the Thunder Dragon Strike was an effective martial art.

In sheer power, whether Absolute Dragon Seal or Thunder Dragon Strike could never surpass the techniques I usually practiced. However, the effects and impact varied drastically depending on when and how the techniques were used.

‘Let’s catch demon beasts using only Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts!’

That alone was sufficient, and honestly, it was the best training method!

I gained confidence and dove back into capturing demon beasts energetically. As I did so, I began to grasp the actual meanings of the skills I had merely skimmed over in Heavenly Flower Thunder Dragon Divine Arts, allowing me to apply them in various scenarios.

This is fun.

While it’s not the martial arts trained on humans, employing my creativity to hunt down diverse demon beasts surely feels like martial arts too.

I felt a long-lost sense of excitement training my martial skills and repetitively tackling demon beasts. About three years went by, and then came a fateful mistake.

Crack!!

“Gah!!”

Oh god, my concentration just dipped too low—I couldn’t dodge!

Was I being careless?!

Pierced through the forearm by a beast’s tentacle, I was immediately hit with an overwhelming urge to use divine power to heal. But recalling the constraints I had set on myself, the thought of using divine power struck me.

Swoosh!

“Gahhh!”

But I felt severe pain at the punctured area, and soon after, I noticed the growth of a kind of tumor as the demon’s flesh began to devour me. Unfortunately, I had been hit by that most vile type of parasitic tentacle!

‘Damn! The one that forcibly grows seeds inside the enemy’s blood vessels! I’ve seen this mess before in Aokigahara Life Sea…’

I could tell that if this continued, I’d be left in a state where the tentacles would gnaw at my brain without me dying or living.

‘Ugh… no… if I’m in this situation, but nobody knows… then I could legitimately end up being stuck in a state of being gnawed at by tentacles for millennia…’

Using divine power should have been a solution for this pesky beast’s consumption…!!

No! I can’t break my promise to myself no matter how I think! Doing so would mean losing all the benefits of this training!

I was stuck between two choices, unable to decide what to do.

Then I suddenly came up with a compromise.

“……As long as it’s my own power… and not something ridiculous like divine power, I should be fine.”

I muttered to myself and activated the circuits of the seth within my body. My eyes glowed blue as I concentrated the power of seth on the tumor at the wound.

Might as well train this side while I’m at it!

Zzap!

The silver energy began to counteract the growth of the tumor. Observing its effect, I thought.

[The silver web that arose in your body is the preparatory stage for casting the power of the 3 lineages freely.]

[Well done. Now that you’ve entered the controlling stage of seth, you can manipulate the triad to utilize Sephiroth’s magic.]

[The triad consists of Infinite, Sublimation, and Control. It forms a separate mental world in the caster’s mind to strengthen the Upper Dantian. Those who master the triad harmoniously can learn the higher tier magic known as the Sephira. Understanding all 10 Sephiroth allows one to become a Lower Demon God like Simon Magus.]

This was what the Cheon Woo-jin had explained before.

Zing zing zing!

‘……Control……!! To govern the tumor and stop the spread of infection!’

Intuitively, I felt the silver circuits directing the power towards the wound and saw the triangular formation take shape. A moment later, I realized the power of seth had completely blocked the demon’s erosion.

“Gahhh!”

Slash!

After annihilating the demon that had attacked me in one hit, I gazed at the silver triangle glowing gently at the injury. I bitterly muttered.

“Damn it. I should’ve just stuck with martial arts until the end… It was careless of me to let my guard down.”

Still, it was true I had resorted to a shortcut, so I decided to treat myself as if I were dead. If it had been purely martial arts, I would’ve surely died.

‘It’s been about three years, maybe I should go see Lee Gang-ryong again and tell him about my training results.’

As I shook my head and tried to stand up, I suddenly froze.

“……”

I gazed at the silver triangle of seth blocking the erosion of the tentacles.

[The three branches of Sephiroth are divided into triads. This is what is known as the Triad or Shaan Crete. By manipulating these triads, various supernatural powers and magic can be used.]

After recalling Cheon Woo-jin’s words again in my mind, I realized something astonishing.

“……No way.”

The triad.

Could it be that this too is related to the principle of the Three Talents?