Rebirth of the Thunder God

-Swoosh!

Namgung Hui quickly turned around at the sword ki flying from behind and struck it with the side of his hand.

-Clang!

His arm rang with a tingling sensation, and the shock penetrated to his bones.

Even though he had wrapped a considerable amount of ki around his hand, to have such an impact.

The man called Elder Daesangheum was a master of a different dimension than the other elders.

It would not be an exaggeration to call him a great elder, not just an elder.

"As expected, you weren't the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader. That child doesn't know hand techniques."

The Diancang Sect had no hand techniques.

Naturally, the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader would not have been able to show such hand movements.

But Namgung Hui could not have considered that far in such an urgent situation.

Namgung Hui had no choice but to decide to fight against Elder Daesangheum.

At times like this, a quick battle was best.

Before more people gathered.

And he had to deal with him before Daesangheum noticed the existence of the Thunder Burst Bomb.

'Or it doesn't matter if I drag out the time until the Thunder Burst Bomb explodes.'

In any case. The fact that he had to deal with him remained unchanged.

Namgung Hui immediately drew the Thunder God Sword and rushed at Daesangheum.

The wind of the Wind God was imbued in his feet.

-Kang!

Daesangheum also received Namgung Hui's sword strike with his thick sword ki.

But Namgung Hui's sword ki was more intense than he had expected.

And the sword momentum with the acceleration of the Wind God was not to be taken lightly.

Daesangheum's feet were stuck an inch into the floor.

Daesangheum's eyebrows twitched.

"The Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader must be dead already. Seeing your handiwork, it must have been a huge difference. Could you be the man from the Namgung family that the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader went to catch?"

"Yes. That's me."

The Pursuit and Kill Squad had come looking for the existence of the Thunder Sect.

And because of that, hadn't he killed the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader?

He didn't know who was spreading information about the Thunder Sect, but there was no need to deny it here.

Since it had come to this, he resolved to deal as much damage to the Heretic Practitioners' Alliance as possible.

Namgung Hui pushed a huge amount of Thunder Ki into the Thunder God Sword and scattered the sword ki.

The fragments of the sword ki scattered like petals.

A fierce bundle of sword ki crossing the narrow corridor.

Daesangheum also hardened his expression at Namgung Hui's form he was seeing for the first time and swung his sword.

-Kang! Kakakang Kang!

As he tried to strike down all the bundles of sword ki, Daesangheum's hand became dizzy.

But as befitting a seasoned master of the unorthodox faction, his hand did not get tangled, nor did he allow an attack.

Daesangheum, who had completely received the bundles of sword ki, looked at his palm and continued.

"Is this really the skill of a mere member of the younger generation? Could it be that an old master is just imitating the voice?"

Daesangheum couldn't believe it.

Seeing his tingling palm and the slight crack on his sword, he judged that it was definitely not the internal energy of a member of the younger generation.

Not only the depth of the internal energy, but that bundle of sword ki was not a technique that an ordinary member of the younger generation could unfold.

The martial arts incorporated into it were at least five or more.

'Since his face is disguised, he might not really be a man from the Namgung family. But the family head wouldn't have moved directly. Could it be from the Martial Alliance?'

The Martial Alliance was an enemy of the Heretic Practitioners' Alliance.

Recently, due to the rise of the Blood Cult, the checks had become particularly severe.

Then it would not be strange if an executive of the Four Divine Squads were dispatched.

'If it's a squad leader-level person, that level would be possible. I'll deal with that man on this occasion!'

Daesangheum gripped his sword hilt tightly and raised his internal energy to the extreme.

The internal energy he had accumulated for 45 years could not be small.

And the elixirs he had consistently taken while frequenting the black market amounted to a cartload.

-Fwoosh!

The ki wave fluctuated.

A typhoon raged in the narrow corridor.

Namgung Hui, not to be outdone, also raised his momentum and kicked the ground.

-Pang!

For a moment, the atmosphere swayed and trembled.

Feeling the narrow corridor widen for a moment, the two clashed.

-Boom!

The atmosphere, unable to just sway, fluctuated like a wave.

The appearance of struggling against the clash of huge sword ki.

The architecture of the black market, which was said to have been built sturdily, also could not withstand this.

Cracks began to appear here and there on the walls, and piles of stones fell.

-Thud... thud...!

The surroundings became quiet.

Even the moans coming from inside the room stopped.

"As expected, you're a squad leader of the Four Divine Squads. The White Tiger Squad Leader is a swordsman, so is this sword art that of the Azure Dragon Squad Leader?"

Namgung Hui tilted his head for a moment at Daesangheum's words.

But he soon realized what his words meant.

'To mistake me for the Azure Dragon Squad Leader. Well, it would be more persuasive to think so rather than to believe that the skill of a member of the younger generation is at this level.'

In the first place, if he had properly estimated Namgung Hui's martial power, he would have sent a master more outstanding than the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader.

Whatever the case, the fact that Namgung Hui had to defeat Daesangheum did not change.

Daesangheum, knowing that, nodded his head slightly and immediately rushed at Namgung Hui.

His sword art was sharp.

It was a matter of course, but unlike that of the orthodox faction, it had a unique fierceness.

A martial art focused thoroughly on killing.

It was similar to the Four Suns Sword Art, but Daesangheum's sword art was excessively thick with killing intent.

-Swoosh!

It aimed for Namgung Hui's neck at a considerable speed.

The points he was aiming for were all fatal vital points.

But on the contrary, because of that thick killing intent, it was easy to dodge.

Because it was so honest that the intention was obvious.

'As expected, since it's an era with less practical experience than 60 years ago, there are many shortcomings compared to the ki.'

As all his attacks went in vain, Daesangheum's complexion hardened.

"I've heard of the Azure Dragon Squad Leader's fame, but I never dreamed it would be this much. Then I don't need to hide anymore either."

A black haze shimmered from Daesangheum's body.

At the same time, the nature of the internal energy felt from him also changed.

Something turbid, but a more domineering and powerful momentum.

Namgung Hui, being quite familiar with such an energy, frowned.

'This is a demonic art!'

To be precise, the martial arts of the Heavenly Demonic Cult.

Not all the martial arts of the Demonic Cult were demonic arts, but except for the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, most of them could be seen as demonic arts.

Even the martial art that the vice-leader, Sosu Mahu, had learned was the Sosu Demonic Art.

Of course, the higher the level of the demonic art, the fewer the side effects, but at least the demonic art that Daesangheum before him had learned seemed to have side effects.

Looking at his reddened eyes, he couldn't help but feel its aftereffects.

"Hahaha! As expected, I'm overflowing with energy. Let's see you take this!"

Daesangheum threw a pitch-black sword ki.

The domineering momentum crossing the corridor even created the illusion of crushing the entire pavilion.

An ordinary person would have found it difficult to even lift a sword in this pressure.

-Kang!

Namgung Hui was different. It was a matter of course.

This demonic art was a martial art that Namgung Hui had also seen countless times on the battlefield.

'It's the demonic art used by the Black Wind Squad. To think it has flowed into the black market.'

Although there was nothing the black market didn't have, to think there was even a demonic art. He had never even imagined it.

In the first place, he had heard that the Martial Alliance had painstakingly dealt with the remnants of the Demonic Cult and had also recovered the demonic arts.

It was an unknown part whether the black market's resourcefulness was great or whether someone had leaked the demonic art.

Namgung Hui, in order to ask Daesangheum for the source, decided to subdue him first.

Namgung Hui also did not hide and revealed his full power.

-Sizzle!

A purple flash more intense than Daesangheum's black haze filled the corridor.

At the sight of Namgung Hui, Daesangheum also realized that something was strange.

"No. The Azure Dragon Squad Leader belongs to the Wudang Sect, so why is he using a martial art similar to the Purple Mist Divine Art? No, this is...! The Thunder Sect!"

Daesangheum, who had belatedly realized that the Purple Thunder Ki resembled the Thunder Essence Ki, stared at Namgung Hui with wide eyes.

Since the martial arts of the Thunder Sect produced a blue flash, he had no choice but to realize it late.

"Let's end this slowly, as time is running out."

"Yes. It's not good for me to drag this out either, so let's settle this with this one move."

Demonic arts have great output, but also great side effects.

A quick battle was what Daesangheum had hoped for.

They raised their swords, having raised their full power.

Black demonic ki and purple thunder ki were imbued in their swords.

Those sword ki gradually took on a tangible nature and then clashed and exploded.

-Kaboom!

Due to the clash of the sword ki, the walls were torn as if scratched by a hook.

The drug addicts who were doing drugs in the room.

And the ones who were enjoying themselves after buying slaves.

Were torn apart together.

Blood flowed thickly on the floor.

It was so much that one couldn't even guess whose blood it was.

"Cough! The general's words were not empty..."

Daesangheum buried his head in the sea of blood.

His share in this sea of blood was not small.

It was a matter of course, as a corner of his chest was pierced.

'Since he died instantly, I can't interrogate him. As expected, it's still difficult to control the power.'

Namgung Hui, sheathing the Thunder God Sword, which was not stained with a single drop of blood, immediately scanned his surroundings.

The number of survivors was exactly half.

Coincidentally, most of the dead were the auction participants who were close to the corridor.

The slaves who were tied up tightly on the opposite wall had instead had a turn of fortune.

Namgung Hui, staring at the burning fuse, entered a nearby room.

"..."

A person who had been captured as a slave looked at Namgung Hui with empty eyes.

There was no fear, no desire for life.

Namgung Hui, looking at the empty gaze, broke the iron chains that were binding him.

"This place will soon collapse. If you want to live, escape right away."

Namgung Hui, having said what he had to say, entered the next room.

He repeated the same work.

Whether they wanted to live or not, Namgung Hui did as he pleased.

After making the rounds of about ten rooms, the fuse was now at its end.

At the same time, warriors from the second floor came running up.

"Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader! What in the world is going on... Gak!"

Namgung Hui mercilessly cut down the warriors of the black market.

Even if the slaves had regained their freedom, they would not be able to get past them.

Namgung Hui, since he was going down anyway, cut and stabbed the warriors of the black market as he went.

-Stab stab. Splat! Slice!

As Namgung Hui stepped on the thickly flowing blood and came down to the first floor.

-Boom!

Finally, the Thunder Burst Bomb exploded, and the debris of the pavilion scattered in all directions.

As a pile of stones fell, Namgung Hui pushed it away with a Thunder Burst Palm.

As dust rose thickly, one of the people who had been sold as slaves shouted.

"Everyone, follow me! I know the escape route!"

It was a very thin woman, but even in this situation, her eyes were shining brightly.

Among the slaves, her will to live was the strongest.

Perhaps because of that gaze, the slaves slowly followed her.

The warriors of the black market, now realizing that Namgung Hui was not the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader, rushed at him.

But.

-Boom!

This time, the Thunder Burst Bomb that the Black Spirit had planted exploded, and the roof was blown away.

As both ends collapsed, the floor of the third floor had no choice but to collapse entirely.

-Rumble!

Dust rose thickly, and the view was blocked.

It was a dark dawn, and it was difficult to see through the dust with the seeping moonlight.

Namgung Hui, seeing the slaves safely heading somewhere, launched himself towards Jo Seongho's thatched hut.

* * *

"Huh? I told you to come in the morning. I don't think I told you to come at dawn."

"I had some unavoidable circumstances, so I came a little early. Shall I wait outside?"

"No. The work is just finished anyway, so it doesn't matter. Come inside, I don't know what happened."

Although Namgung Hui had said he had dusted himself off on the way, the smell of blood on his clothes could not be erased.

"By the way, you said you finished the decoding. Can I see it now?"

"Yes. But there was some rather shocking content written there. If that's true, it would be terrifying. A storm might rise in the martial world."

If Jo Seongho was making such a fuss, it must be no ordinary content.

Namgung Hui, inwardly swallowing his dry saliva, received the diary of the Empty Gate Sect Master.

And just as he was about to flip the cover and read the diary.

-Knock. Knock. Knock.

Someone knocked on the door of the thatched hut.

(End of Chapter)