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I went to the Dragon King’s Valley with Lee Cheong-un to find Dokgo Seong—not that I clumsily tried to lure him out to the Manjangan Cliff, but rather, to the temple where he resided. This temple was once the retreat of the Southern School’s Master Ha Taek in the Tang Dynasty era, and Dokgo Seong had been staying there for meals and lodging.

“He’s not here.”

Dokgo Seong was missing. Lee Cheong-un lightly sat on the fur spread across the floor, and I sat opposite him. After waiting for a little over an hour, there was a sound coming from outside the temple. It slowly approached and arrived right at the door.

The sound, upon seeing Lee Cheong-un, spoke in a trembling voice, “N-no way… This can’t be happening…”

Lee Cheong-un glanced over with a grin, “What do you mean it can’t be? I am Lee Cheong-un, your older brother.”

Dokgo Seong dropped the rabbit he seemed to have caught for dinner and stared blankly for a moment. “Do you remember what our Master said when we went to the Black Cat Plain together?”

Lee Cheong-un replied naturally, “He entrusted his sword to you, saying the Thunder God Lineage’s sword technique would be left in your hands. I remember it vividly.”

Suddenly, Dokgo Seong’s eyes filled with tears as he rushed to Lee Cheong-un and grabbed his hand tightly. It was a far cry from the cold and lofty demeanor of the sword master we knew.

He looked at Lee Cheong-un’s vibrant hand and, as if lost in a trance, said, “This isn’t a dream… You were alive, the Master of the Thunder God Lineage is alive!!”

“I am alive, Older Brother.”

He burst into tears without any pride. Watching him, I felt a twinge of sympathy.

‘Though I didn’t show it, Dokgo Seong must have had a heavy heart for the plight of the Thunder God Lineage.’

When he heard Lee Cheong-un had died, did he not feel utterly lost? The position of a Master is such a heavy mantle, especially to the Four Great Families. After a while, after their reunion, Lee Cheong-un introduced me.

“This is my new disciple, Baek Woong.”

Dokgo Seong wiped his tears and looked at me, “So, you’re the disciple of the Master. I can sense a remarkable sword realm within you.”

I was pleasantly surprised by his keen observation.

But then he continued, “But what about Lee Kwang? That kid should be alive too…”

Lee Cheong-un responded with a bittersweet tone, “There’s a reason for that.”

Dokgo Seong didn’t pry any further. It was odd for someone as strict as him to let it slide, yet it showed just how extraordinary Lee Cheong-un was. Despite their teacher-disciple relationship, fundamentally, Dokgo Seong recognized Lee Cheong-un as superior to himself.

“I’ll explain the details later; we need to get to the point.”

“Right.”

Lee Cheong-un said, “I want to pass on the Thunder Sword Technique to this child.”

What?! Dokgo Seong looked a bit shocked.

“The Thunder Sword Technique?”

“Exactly.”

Dokgo Seong replied, “But hasn’t the Master reached the pinnacle of the Thunder Principle Realm? You don’t need to teach… you could just show him yourself…”

Lee Cheong-un said, “The intention was to teach my vision, but there’s still a long way to go to obtain that. So first, let’s solidify what he can achieve.”

“Hmm… The Master specialized in the spear, am I right?”

“Correct. I can also use the Thunder Sword Technique but lack the finesse you possess.”

Dokgo Seong sat with his arms crossed, deep in thought. Finally, he said, “Master, I don’t plan on making Baek Woong a disciple of yours.”

“What makes you think that?”

“… If he struggles with the Thunder Sword Technique, he could never replace you as the Master’s heir. This is all so puzzling.”

Dokgo Seong leaned slightly forward. “Be honest; what exactly is going on?”

Lee Cheong-un replied, “It’s a necessary step for the revival of the Thunder God Lineage.”

“Is that all you can share?”

“That’s right.”

That was quite a curt response! But Dokgo Seong sighed, as if he had no choice, “Fine. As the Dokgo Seong of the Thunder God Lineage, I will heed your words.”

“Thank you.”

“Then I shall teach this child, and pass down the Thunder Sword Technique.”

“I appreciate it. Baek Woong will come back on his own soon.”

Lee Cheong-un rose from his seat, and I got ready to lead him to Jangryeong Valley.

Crack!

As soon as Lee Cheong-un arrived, he told me, “Your older brother is the finest sword master in the Thunder God Lineage. You won’t take long to acquire the Thunder Sword Technique. Focus on mastering it, and come back once you’ve learned it.”

I said skeptically, “How can you be so sure? The Thunder Sword Technique is an advanced skill.”

The Thunder Sword Technique is a part of the Thunder Principle Realm. It entails condensing one’s qi into lightning that shapes the mind’s thoughts! Hence, the power that comes from the Sword Technique of the Thunder God Lineage is impressively fearsome, slicing through ordinary qi without mercy. It is the ultimate level of swordsmanship; thus, I couldn’t forget the difficulty I faced under Dokgo Seong, panting to finally grasp the technique. Even if my training period had been short, I felt it would have been hard no matter how long I’d had.

Lee Cheong-un continued, “Did you not know? You’ve already reached a swordsmanship level that means you could grasp the Thunder Sword Technique with ease.”

“What?”

“You’ve spent decades honing your skills in the Seven Great Techniques and Eight Immortals Divine Art, experienced countless battles where the Overlay Technique descended, diligently learned from various masters, and even faced intense competitions among Peak Experts. Plus, with Yeodong-bin’s help, you overcame the chaos of the sword family. Your wisdom, imbued into your swordsmanship, is beyond words. If you’d had more talent, you’d have been a great martial artist on par with Jang Sam-bong, potentially creating your own school of thought.”

“……”

Lee Cheong-un chuckled. “That’s why the reason you’re struggling with the Thunder Sword Technique isn’t its difficulty but that you simply didn’t have time to refine what you’ve learned. And now that you have an opportunity, you’ll not only learn it but will excel at it.”

“An opportunity?”

“The Seventh Sense has begun to respond within you.”

He explained calmly, “The Sixth Sense is that supersensitive awareness that catches even what your five senses can’t perceive. To master the Sixth Sense is to enter the Realm of Intent. So, what do you think the Seventh Sense is?”

“Um… I’m not sure. I recall that the Master of the White Lotus Sect emphasized the importance of the Seventh Sense…”

As I trailed off, Lee Cheong-un interjected, “You know you can’t predict the future with the Sixth Sense. However, the Seventh Sense allows you to traverse space and time, making future predictions possible. As the Master would say, it’s an ability to sense faint rifts amidst stunning phenomena.”

“Oh…”

“While it might not be as profound as the divine awareness you experienced in your past life, it’s about surpassing normal human senses to reach a transpersonal awareness. In simpler terms, it’s a crucial skill to becoming a supreme master.”

“……!!”

I exclaimed, feeling a rush of excitement, “So, does that mean I’m near the Absolute Realm…!!”

“No, not quite.”

Lee Cheong-un shook his head firmly. “The Seventh Sense is typically inherent in extraordinary Peak Experts, but the number of those who can recognize and utilize it is few. The Sword Demon also recognized the dangers of Fengshen War with his Seventh Sense.”

“Ah.”

There had been such instances. So the Seventh Sense is a prerequisite for reaching the Absolute Realm but not proof that one has attained it. Nodding in understanding, Lee Cheong-un continued, “Once you reach the Absolute Realm and hone the transcendent Seventh Sense, you’ll be as formidable as Yeodong-bin’s Moon-Style Defense Technique.”

“Moon-Style Defense Technique!”

A transcendent sense that can counter any attack and adapt to any speed! Only Yeodong-bin among the masters I know has fully mastered that technique, and as I gasped in awe, Lee Cheong-un frowned. “But the ‘eye’ of the Moon-Style Defense Technique is not a state achievable as a human. It’s akin to the Life and Death Eye. I doubt even the Master or I could reach it in fifty years of cultivation. Truly a formidable feat.”

“I see.”

“What you’ve been missing until now was an instinct and sensitivity that transcends ordinary realms. However, now that the Seventh Sense has begun to emerge from your long training and experience, mastering the Thunder Sword Technique will likely be a piece of cake.”

Back at Dragon King’s Valley, Dokgo Seong was at the temple reading an old book. When I bustled into the room, he held up his hand and said, “Wait. Let’s hold off training for now.”

“Yes.”

He quietly read the book for a while, and I stepped outside to meditate until he finished. After a long while, Dokgo Seong emerged and asked, “What have you learned of the Thunder God Lineage’s sword techniques?”

Remembering Lee Cheong-un’s advice, I thought, ‘He told me to be honest but to avoid mentioning anything about my past life or the obsidian.’ I shared with Dokgo Seong the achievements I had attained thus far. To that, he responded as if impressed, “Indeed… Show me what you’ve got.”

Swish!

I flawlessly demonstrated the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique, Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique, Thunder Dragon Sword, and the Thunder God Sword Dance without a hitch. It wasn’t just a small demonstration; these techniques had been honed through actual combat over a long period, so mistakes were simply not an option. As Dokgo Seong observed intently throughout my performance, he finally said, “Excellent. It seems you’ve grasped them all. However, it appears you still need to improve your ability to internalize the Thunderbolt Technique during the Thunder Dragon Sword form, and the Thunder God Sword Dance feels a bit unpolished. We will focus on those aspects.”

“I appreciate it.”

I didn’t find the training process intimidating or dangerous since I was already familiar with it. The bubbling anticipation and confidence within me signaled that if I continued to work steadily at it, attaining the Thunder Sword Technique would be well within my reach. Suddenly sparked with curiosity, I asked Dokgo Seong, “What was that book you were reading earlier in the temple?”

Dokgo Seong answered, “I mentioned how this temple originally belonged to the Master Ha Taek of the Southern School, didn’t I?”

“Yes.”

He continued, “Ha Taek was a disciple of the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng. Do you know who he was during his lifetime?”

“Not quite.”

Honesty was the best policy, and Dokgo Seong elaborated, “Ha Taek elevated the Southern School of Huineng while belittling the Northern School by embellishing his master’s reputation. He was originally a disciple of the Northern School, so he was no different from a vile traitor.”

“Oh!”

This was my first conversation about Ha Taek, naturally leading me to learn the intricate details behind his character. I was intrigued and asked, “Is Ha Taek really such a despicable figure?”

Dokgo Seong replied, “He accrued wealth unethically by selling permits to peasants who wanted to evade military service during the Huangsi Rebellion, later selling that wealth to the imperial family.”

“It’s impossible to call him a monk. The Sixth Patriarch, Huineng, is widely recognized as a great master!”

I shared my honest feelings, and Dokgo Seong chuckled in a strange manner.

“If he isn’t a monk, then what is he?”

“A bad guy.”

He pondered for a moment before saying, “I too, thought the same way before coming to this temple.”

“Really?”

Dokgo Seong then paused his laughter, “Anyway, let’s focus on our training. If you reach the Thunder Sword Technique, I will share an interesting truth with you as the Master’s disciple.”

 

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