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“We were hiding out in a place like this?”

After capturing Jeongwook and Nokwool, Lee Cheong-un forced them to kneel and declared, “From now on, spill all you know about your precious ultimate technique.”

“Master!”

“I won’t say it twice.”

With that, Nokwool nervously shook his hands and shut his eyes tight, surrendering as reality sank in. But unlike Nokwool, Jeongwook eyed Lee Cheong-un with suspicion before speaking up.

“Master, why would our puny martial arts interest you…?”

Thud!!

“Ugh.”

Outta nowhere, Lee Cheong-un smacked Nokwool’s arm, leaving him dangling like a puppet with no strings. The strike was hard enough to take the fight out of him. Lee Cheong-un glared silently at him and asked, “Does the Thunder God Lineage owe you a lesson?”

“… No, we don’t.”

“This is a warning. Speak another word of that nonsense, and next time… “

Sizzle

As electrical energy crept from Lee Cheong-un’s hand, Nokwool finally lowered his head. “Understood.”

“That’s better.”

Lee Cheong-un sent me a secret message:

[ Extracting their ultimate technique might take about a month. You can wait until then. ]

[ Got it. ]

With extra time on my hands, I decided to visit Cheon Woo-jin. He was farming behind Jangryeong Valley, wielding a pickaxe with a look of pure annoyance.

“Why are you bothering me again?”

“Teach me some techniques for a month!”

“You think you can learn in a month what you couldn’t master in two years?”

“I just want to swing a technique using [strength]—no need to raise my level. I want to use what I’ve got properly.”

Cheon Woo-jin seemed to grasp what I meant and replied bluntly, “So you want to know how to unleash spirit energy like a demon using your spirit power?”

“Exactly.”

“Well, the fox likely knows more about that than I do. I’m not a fan of blindly swinging power. A demon might teach you better since they can control their strength naturally.”

It made sense; demons were half-demon and would be more familiar with power derived from the Three Sovereigns.

Boom!

I quickly moved to find Dongyoung, looking for Miho. After explaining everything, she crossed her arms, pondering.

“Hmm. I’ve never taught anyone how to wield spirit energy before.”

She hesitated, then added, “Can you pass me a bit of that spirit power?”

“Huh?”

“I need to directly feel its nature; otherwise, it doesn’t make sense.”

“Alright.”

I took her hand and transferred some of the spirit energy I had obtained from Jeongwook’s statue.

Whoosh!

I guess I passed on about three years’ worth of power? Suddenly, Miho let out a loud scream.

“Ah!!”

“M-Miho?”

But Miho held on to my hand tightly, her face flushed and strangely excited. “Keep… keep going! Give me more!”

This felt dangerous.

I quickly severed the link, and Miho stumbled, nearly collapsing. I rushed to help her, but she waved me off.

After catching her breath, Miho stood and exclaimed, “This is amazing… I feel so much stronger all of a sudden.”

“Really?”

“Indeed! That was divine power! It intensified so fast I almost lost my mind.”

Did she almost get addicted to the spirit energy?

“Hmm…”

Noticing her tail glowing brighter and her aura intensifying, I realized the amount I transferred was roughly half of what remained in Jeongwook’s statue. What a powerful boost!

With greedy eyes, Miho fixed her gaze on me, saying, “If I get even more spirit energy, I’ll surely understand!”

As she reached for my upper body, I jumped back in shock, shouting, “Wait, wait, wait! This isn’t the right time!”

Her eyes sparkled like a curious cat, “Just give me what you just shared!”

“No way! Snap out of it!”

At that, she backed off with a dazed expression, mumbling, “Sorry, Baek Woong. A demon is more sensitive to power than a human… It felt like drinking divine wine; I couldn’t help myself. It’s been hundreds of years since I arrived in this weak land.”

“Phew. So do you understand power manipulation now?”

“Yeah, I’ll teach you how to wield it.”

Whoosh!

Miho transformed into her half-demon form, her nine tails standing tall. A faint fox fire flared around them as she gathered the fire into a glowing orb, handing it to me.

“Spirit energy isn’t like martial arts. While martial arts require special techniques to harness power, spirit energy is much simpler—it’s like physical strength!”

“Physical strength?”

“Touch this orb.”

As my hand touched the orb, it felt as though power was seeping directly into my veins. Instinctively, I recognized the energy’s simple structure. Seeing my comprehension, Miho retracted the orb.

“Got it? To accumulate internal power, you gather Qi along the Eight Extraordinary Vessels and manage your breathing. But with spirit energy, you don’t need such tedious techniques.”

“I see.”

“You only need to move your essence alongside your body. It’s as natural as breathing. Spirit means ‘demon,’ and energy means ‘power.’ Therefore, spirit energy is just a form of physical strength.”

“I think I’m starting to understand.”

To manage internal power, I needed to focus on Qi; for arcane techniques, I would have to harmonize techniques and spirit energy. However, spirit energy was straightforward, used like basic muscle. As I nodded, Miho burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! While pretending martial arts and spells are complicated, you’re quite adept with spirit energy. Most lowly demons struggle to grasp these techniques!”

“Oh? Am I talented?”

“Absolutely. I don’t know about other areas, but you grasped this just from my one explanation—you’re quite perceptive. It must be because you’re using your body.”

“Hehe.”

I grinned widely. ‘Hey! Guess I have a talent in something!’ While reveling in Miho’s praise, she continued.

“Now that I’ve sensed that spirit energy, it’s several tiers above standard power… true divine strength. However, it’s still categorized under ‘yin’ and carries a ‘demonic’ nature, making it seem like it can be wielded like spirit energy. With practice, you’ll be able to use it immediately.”

“Whoa! How do I use it?”

“Let’s start with [Release].”

Miho clasped her hands, adopting a stance as if preparing an attack. Then, she let out a fierce yell.

“Hah!!”

Boom!

With that, wind blasted from her hands and obliterated a nearby pillar. Stunned, I exclaimed, “Wait—am I supposed to shoot bursts of wind?”

“Not at all. You, as an expert in martial arts, can gather power to release a wind blast, but this is pure spirit energy directed with your shout. Just channel the latent spirit energy within you into your palm, then release it!”

“Hmm…”

As I narrowed my eyes and followed Miho’s instructions, I focused.

Boom!

“It works!”

“Clearly, you have a good sense!”

“Haha!”

It’s been ages since I received a genuine compliment! I quickly got the hang of controlling spirit energy. Although there were still some nuances left, after half a day with Miho, I felt ready to use it reasonably well.

“You can form shapes like shields or spears using [Materialization].”

Ting!

At Miho’s guidance, I easily channeled spirit energy to create intangible spears or shields. Of course, forging these didn’t amplify my raw power but merely diversified my tactics.

As she taught, Miho took a moment to rest and said, “Actually, for a demon, using spirit energy is as natural as swimming for a fish. But a human, you utilizing it so easily is… unusual.”

“……”

“Also, while spirit energy is simple to wield, it lacks the profound potential of martial arts or spells.”

“What do you mean?”

“Martial arts aren’t just about internal power; they employ intricate techniques to transcend power gaps, right? The same goes for spells. But spirit energy is merely basic power, so it rarely overcomes natural power differences through technique.”

“Ah.”

“That’s why demons focus on amplifying their power instead of honing combat skills as humans do. They’d eat people, hide to accumulate energy, wreak havoc, or seek ancient artifacts…”

I understood her point. While it was easy to wield, the straightforwardness of spirit energy led to clear limits on its potential. Feeling slightly let down, I replied, “Then I can’t advance by developing its manipulation?”

“Not exactly. I said it ‘rarely’ overcomes, not that it doesn’t.”

“Huh?”

“Demons have high-level battle tactics unique to them. At least high-tier demons can employ such methods.”

Swoosh—

Suddenly, Miho’s gaze sharpened. Meeting her intensity made my mind swirl and my heart race. Uncontrollably, my lower body stirred. Realizing what was happening, I quickly gathered my energy, grounding myself, and sweat profusely as I broke free from Miho’s technique.

Wiping my forehead, I yelled, “Miho! Why are you suddenly enchanting me?”

“That’s a top-tier tactic.”

“What do you mean?”

“As you train spirit energy, you’ll eventually hit a point where it stops being efficient to simply enhance power through strength. If you aren’t a brain-dead monster living in Aokigahara Life Sea, most combat prowess will plateau. So, after gathering spirit energy, you should develop special abilities that align with your demon nature—that’s being a top-tier demon.”

Special abilities!!

Her words sounded cool, so I focused hard as Miho continued.

“I’ve sharpened my bewitching powers since the Celestial Realm. Other monsters develop their quirks into special powers. Like the snow woman, tengu, Nurarihyon, Gashadokuro, Satori, and Yosuzume—they’re all unique. You’ve felt that from defeating various great demons in Aokigahara Life Sea.”

“Hmm, I recall something like that.”

I nodded. I had indeed noticed those monstrous demons using strange powers when I had taken them down. I managed to channel power through the Eight Extraordinary Vessels to overcome challenges, but there were dangerous moments too.

“But those guys mostly just relied on brute force; they didn’t flex bizarre powers much.”

“That Life Sea is an odd place. It’s so infused with demonic energy that those massive demons don’t even need to bother developing special powers. When strength overwhelms, techniques become worthless.”

“I see.”

“Anyway, back to our topic.”

Miho took a sip of tea brought by the female partners before carrying on. “If you get comfortable using spirit energy, you might develop a special ability.”

“Me, a special ability?”

“It can be seen as a blood-related capability. You possess remarkable spirit energy, making you a distant descendant of Jeon Wook. Considering your level, you’d fit in just fine among grand demons.”

“……”

“It’s entirely possible.”

As I contemplated Miho’s comment, my expression shifted uneasily. “Why do you look like that?”

“I mean, I’m human… Developing a special ability seems kind of bad, right? It moves me further away from being human.”

Miho chuckled. “Hoh, why care if you give up being human? The spirit energy you hold is a treasure for every demon and sorcerer who would risk their lives to possess it. You don’t really need to cling to being human.”

“I don’t want to become a demon or ghost!”

“Do as you please. You’ll do what you want, no matter what I say.”

Miho popped a small sweet treat into her mouth and said, “By the way, if you develop a special ability stemming from your mastery of spirit energy, it’s likely to be tremendously powerful beyond your imagination. If you intend to fight against divine beings, that kind of ability will be invaluable.”

“Um…”

I pondered. Miho’s words, while seemingly sweet, held hidden meanings that worried me deeply. If I mastered spirit energy, the chances of no longer being human were high!

I would either become a fierce great ghost like the Great Immortal or perhaps mutate into a formidable demon. While this change could afford immense strength, would I ever revert to being human? Changing my very nature was not something easily accepted.

After spending another month learning how to build special powers from Miho, I returned to the Central Plains. Before meeting with Lee Cheong-un, however, I dropped by for Cheon Woo-jin.

“Cheon Woo-jin. If I master spirit energy, will I likely end up as something non-human?”

Cheon Woo-jin, looking supremely annoyed, replied, “You seriously think that isn’t the case?”

“Huh?”

“Damn… you always bring the dumbest questions.”

With irritation, he said, “Don’t worry. No matter how strong your spirit energy grows, you won’t change from who you are.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Spirit energy is Jeon Wook’s power. But can Jeon Wook’s strength control your essence? Even if your true self descends, your soul shouldn’t extinguish.”

With that, Cheon Woo-jin looked away sharply, continuing, “There’s a reason everyone counts on a dimwit like you.”

“……”

I didn’t fully accept this logic but decided to move on and find Lee Cheong-un.

Upon my arrival, Lee Cheong-un said, “Baek Woong. I’ve gathered ample secrets from Jeongwool and Nokwool. Now, it’s time for you to train in Thunder God Lineage techniques and skills!”

“Understood.”

I glanced at Jeongwool and Nokwool, who looked pale after a month of grinding. Yet I felt no pity; they were mere humans who sought to live well while abandoning all the Thunder God Lineage’s obligations.

For about the next six months, I focused on training the techniques of the Thunder God Lineage and other odd skills under Lee Cheong-un. With previous knowledge from the skills of Thunder Spirit Seal and Ghostly Spirit Sect as a base level, acquiring the rest of the learning process was surprisingly smooth.

Then one day…

“Whoa, so you were hiding out here!”

At the entrance of Jangryeong Valley, my companions and I found ourselves facing a strange figure.

To be accurate, that figure had come uninvited and moved past the sensory barrier set within ten li near Jangryeong Valley. Despite knowing this, the figure strolled confidently to the entrance, drawing no hostile attention our way.

The figure in a dog mask found Mangnyang stepping forward, declaring, “Mangnyang of the Bancheon Alliance meets the Master of the Twelve Joules. What brings you here?”

It was true.

The Master of the Twelve Joules appeared alone at Jangryeong Valley, a curiosity-weighing figure. He scanned the area without words before finally speaking up.

“It’s nothing much; I just have something to say.”

“What is it?”

Mangnyang, unwilling to pry into how he got this far, sensed the various schemes swirling in the air. The Master of the Twelve Joules had probably conspired with others and wasn’t here on a casual visit.

The Master’s next words froze the atmosphere in the hall.

“The Master of the White Lotus Sect and I plan to annihilate the Imperial Palace. You Bancheon Alliance will need to lend a hand.”

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