"What kind of martial art would benefit the Namgung Clan the most?"
That was the first question Seo-jun pondered before creating a new martial art.
"Learning martial arts always takes time," he thought.
Sure, he could quickly grasp the flow of internal energy by merely observing it, but for others, mastering martial arts naturally took a considerable amount of time.
Of course, as one’s level advanced, their perspective broadened, allowing for relatively faster mastery of martial arts. But even that had its limits.
Especially for martial artists of the Namgung Clan, who primarily trained in sword techniques, learning a relatively unfamiliar Qi technique would inevitably take time.
However, given the ongoing war, it was best to develop a martial art that could be learned quickly.
“Well, there’s no helping it.”
Even for Seo-jun, it wasn’t feasible to create a high-level martial art that could be mastered in an instant.
Or, to be precise, it was possible—but would such martial arts truly hold up at the transcendent level?
Seo-jun didn’t think so.
“I guess I’ll have to build on Celestial Thunder Qi.”
Since Celestial Thunder Qi was a supplementary Qi technique, many had already learned it. If he could enhance an existing martial art, it would significantly reduce the time required to master it.
Now, onto the next step.
"Since I’m making this anyway, it’d be better if it followed a continuous curriculum, wouldn’t it?"
With the Thunderblade Heart Arts and Thirteen Blades of Thunderstrike, more martial artists were gradually reaching the pinnacle realm. When they later borrowed the power of Life and Death Crossing Technique to ascend to the transcendent realm, it would be advantageous if the new Qi technique could be learned more easily.
“Then, should I stick with the thunder Qi theme for this as well?”
Coincidentally, Celestial Thunder Qi itself dealt with thunder Qi, so it aligned perfectly.
With the overall direction decided, Seo-jun activated Celestial Thunder Qi, generating a bolt of thunderous energy in his palm with a crackling sound.
As he observed it quietly, he turned to Namgung Sua and asked, “You’ve learned Celestial Thunder Qi too, right?”
“Yes. I’ve been learning it while ascending to the transcendent realm.”
Namgung Sua enveloped her greatsword with Qi. A faint crackling sound accompanied the deep blue aura that formed around the blade—evidence of her training progress.
Though the aura soon dissipated, it was steadily improving, which was enough for now.
“What do you think?” Seo-jun asked.
“Well... since Celestial Thunder Qi is a technique that breaks down and explains how to form Qi, it’s a Qi technique, but it also feels a bit ambiguous to call it just that.”
She was correct. Celestial Thunder Qi detailed how to imbue the Namgung Clan’s unique thunder energy into Qi and included several offensive techniques using that energy.
Seo-jun planned to tweak the structure of Celestial Thunder Qi and its associated techniques.
It sounded simple in words but was far from easy. Still, for Seo-jun, it wasn’t a particularly daunting task.
“Since they’ve already familiarized themselves with thunder Qi through the Thunderblade Heart Arts and Thirteen Blades of Thunderstrike...”
He would use that foundation to overhaul Celestial Thunder Qi.
No matter how great the Namgung Clan’s martial arts were, Seo-jun could see areas where they fell short. He intended to address those weaknesses, emphasize their strengths, and add techniques that would prove invaluable in warfare.
“This won’t take more than a week.”
Seo-jun grinned.
And just like that, the martial art was completed in three days.
*
Namgung Gyeong, the Thunderclap Division Leader, led the Thunderclap Division northward to Gansu.
This deployment was arranged at the request of Je Gal-tong, the Murim Alliance’s Grand Strategist, to solidify their advantage in the western region of Zhongyuan.
“Heavenly Thunder Demon Extinguishing Art (天雷滅魔功)...”
That was the name of the martial art newly created by the Namgung Clan’s young master. The name had a rather peculiar ring to it.
Heavenly Thunder Demon Extinguishing Art. Thunder from the heavens to annihilate demons—or, thunder from the heavens to destroy. Although it wasn’t a demonic art, the sheer dominance of the technique was enough to send chills down Namgung Gyeong’s spine whenever he practiced it.
Upon reaching the western front, Hyun Geuk of Mount Wudang welcomed Namgung Gyeong.
“Welcome.”
“Greetings.”
After a brief exchange, Hyun Geuk guided Namgung Gyeong to Cheonpung Division, another unit affiliated with the Namgung Clan.
As the Thunderclap Division and Cheonpung Division exchanged polite nods, Hyun Geuk quickly got to the point.
“I’d love to give you a proper welcome, but the situation is too dire for pleasantries.”
“I understand. I’ve been briefed on the current circumstances.”
“That’s a relief. Have you been informed about tonight’s operation?”
“Yes, we’re preparing.”
After relaying a few more pieces of information, Hyun Geuk departed.
“Bae-ho, it’s been a while.”
“Division Leader.”
Namgung Gyeong patted Hwan Bae-ho’s shoulder.
“I’ve heard about your achievements. Quite impressive, I must say.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Nothing? The rumors say otherwise.”
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“Thank you.”
“I heard you’ll be taking the lead in tonight’s operation. Care to explain?”
“Yes.”
Hwan Bae-ho explained the operation to Namgung Gyeong in detail.
In short, it was a full-scale assault under the cover of darkness. It was somewhat similar yet distinct from a previous operation where unknown demonic forces had unexpectedly aided them.
“So, it’s not exactly a surprise attack.”
“Correct. After several attempts, it seems the Qi Alliance has some sort of sorcery that allows them to partially anticipate ambushes.”
“That’s quite a nuisance.”
As night fell, Namgung Gyeong, standing at the forefront of the group, turned to Hyun Geuk and said, “I’ll lead the charge.”
“That’s for the best.”
Namgung Gyeong was an anomaly among the martial artists of the Namgung Clan, as he primarily relied on Celestial Thunder Qi.
Though his balance between sword techniques and Qi techniques was about fifty-fifty, such a ratio was enough to mark him as an outlier within the clan.
Standing at the forefront, Namgung Gyeong felt the faint prickle of murderous intent against his skin and smiled lightly.
“It’s been a while.”
This blunt and oppressive killing intent was something rare to experience in the relatively peaceful world of Murim these days.
A sharp energy, unfocused on a specific target, was radiating vaguely in their direction. With his lips curling into a grin, Namgung Gyeong unsheathed his sword.
"I wonder just how effective the Heavenly Thunder Demon Extinguishing Art will be in actual combat."
Crack! A bolt of lightning surged along Namgung Gyeong’s blade. Between the flashes of vivid blue thunder, faint white sparks twinkled like stars.
“Inhale...”
Namgung Gyeong took a deep breath and stepped forward with a powerful stride, pivoting on his lead foot as he swung his sword with force.
A piercing screech tore through the air.
Crack-crack! As the sword sliced horizontally, faint sparks of lightning flared in the darkness.
“What...?”
Hyun Geuk furrowed his brow.
“What is he doing...?”
Surely Namgung Gyeong understood how critical the opening strike was in battle. Yet, this half-hearted sword slash? While his form was undeniably flawless, the actual result was nothing more than faint, flickering sparks...
Boom!
The world turned blue. Lightning blazed through the darkness, slicing through the night like a jagged line and soaring into the sky.
Somehow, the lightning erupted among the ranks of the Sahyeokryeon warriors. The bolts detonated explosively, spreading from one person to another in a relentless chain reaction.
“Ahhh!”
“What is this?!”
“Scatter! The lightning is chasing us—ahhh!”
A single strike.
That was all it took to scatter the Sahyeokryeon warriors in every direction. Their formation collapsed, and the casualties were too numerous to count.
Hyun Geuk, who had been staring in stunned silence, finally spoke.
“What is the name of that technique...?”
“Heavenly Thunder Demon Extinguishing Art. That move is called Heavenly Thunder Burst,” Namgung Gyeong replied, his breath ragged.
Heavenly Thunder Burst was a technique where faint sparks of lightning spread from a sword strike, detonating in unison to form a massive net of thunder.
Strangely, the lightning had the uncanny ability to leap to nearby enemies. According to the manual, it was described as a merciless technique capable of annihilating hundreds—if not thousands—of enemies in a single blow.
However, the internal energy consumption was so immense that using it repeatedly was nearly impossible.
The young master had claimed he could unleash Heavenly Thunder Burst dozens of times in a row, but Namgung Gyeong thought there was a bit of exaggeration in that boast.
“To use a technique like this dozens of times... If that were possible, no martial artist at the pinnacle level would stand a chance.”
It didn’t make sense. If such a feat were truly achievable, with just a few gestures, tens of thousands of lives could be snuffed out.
Shivering at the chilling thought, Namgung Gyeong sheathed his sword and said, “We must press the attack before the enemy regains their footing.”
“Ah, yes!”
“I’ll rest briefly before rejoining you.”
“That won’t be necessary. The momentum is already in our favor.”
Drawing his sword, Hyun Geuk bellowed, “Charge! Sweep away the vile Sahyeokryeon forces!”
The battle that began in the night continued until dawn.
The result was a decisive victory. The orthodox Murim forces solidified their control over the western region.
*
Seo-jun carried two wooden boxes in his arms as he walked.
“I wonder how that guy is doing.”
Namgung Gyeong, wasn’t it?
Seeing him so exhausted after using Heavenly Thunder Burst once had left quite the impression. Seo-jun wondered if it was even safe to send someone like that to the battlefield.
Heavenly Thunder Burst was originally designed as a high-effort technique.
Later, adjustments were made to lessen the internal energy strain after realizing how costly it was for most users. Still, it shouldn’t have left someone completely drained after just one use.
“I’m back.”
“Brother, welcome.”
“You’re here?”
Chun-bong and Namgung Sua, who had been training, greeted Seo-jun warmly.
Though there had been some initial awkwardness between Seo-jun and Chun-bong after their engagement announcement, that atmosphere had quickly and naturally disappeared.
“Well, it’s only natural since Chun-bong and I are engaged.”
Even if the sky fell, there was no way awkwardness would last more than a week.
Seo-jun nodded in satisfaction and held up the wooden boxes in his hands.
“Ta-da!”
“What’s that?” Namgung Sua asked.
Grinning, Seo-jun replied, “Oh, these? You could call them incredible elixirs.”
It had been two days since he visited the Celestial Medicine Hall to help with the final preparations. At last, the elixirs crafted from the Green Bamboo Sage’s horn were complete.