Rebirth of the Thunder God

-Kwang! Kudangtangtang!

The wall collapsed, and the Red-Haired Monster, who had parted ways a while ago, was thrown in.

And at the same time, a large number of martial artists jumped in from the collapsed wall, and they hesitated for a moment as they looked at Namgung Hui and the martial artists who had been subdued on the floor.

"So there wasn't just one intruder. You guys take care of the red-haired one. I'll take that one."

Since there were two people where Namgung Hui was, there must have been eight where the Red-Haired Monster had gone.

On top of that, since there were considerable masters mixed in among those eight, it seemed the Red-Haired Monster had not been able to avoid a tough fight.

The person who was now walking towards Namgung Hui was clearly a master of the Extreme Demonic.

'Even if this is a place where the elite stay, aren't Transformation masters too common?'

In the early days of the Righteous-Demonic War, there were quite a few people who had entered the Ten Great Masters as Transcendent masters.

Of course, there were also those who had risen to the Transformation after experiencing real combat later.

And there were also those who could not break through the wall of the Transcendent realm and eventually met their death at the hands of the enemy.

Anyway. The fact that a Transcendent master had entered the Ten Great Masters meant that there were less than ten Transformation masters in normal times.

Well, in the era of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, there were well over ten demonic heads of the Extreme Demonic, but that was the peak, and they had not walked the path of decline like now.

Moreover, it was a time when the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the best martial art of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, also existed.

The fact that they were showing such a powerful military force even now, when not only the Heavenly Demon Divine Art but also Beak Seolhwa's Sosu Demonic Art did not exist, and they were divided into two with the Demonic Heaven, and many of the core martial arts of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had been lost, meant that they had been sharpening the blade of revenge for the past 50 years.

Seeing this aspect of the Blood Cult, Namgung Hui felt ashamed of himself.

Because he had been unconsciously looking down on his opponent.

In the martial world, carelessness immediately calls for death.

The reason he was surrounded now was probably the price of that carelessness.

Namgung Hui, without even having time to continue his idle thoughts, looked at the enemy in front of him.

A master of the Extreme Demonic.

Perhaps judging by his age, he seemed to be an elder-level figure of the Dugu family.

"How on earth did you get in here? It's not an easy thing for two outsiders to infiltrate. Do you have an accomplice by any chance?"

"I do have an accomplice. The ones who made me come here."

-Padeuk.

As Namgung Hui gritted his teeth, the middle-aged man looked at Namgung Hui with an interested gaze.

"You speak as if you came because of some grudge. By the way, who on earth let these guys in... It would be no different from a traitor, but the only one in the moderate faction who would pull such a trick is the military strategist, but that guy is not foolish enough to do such a thing."

Namgung Hui also thought it was a strange part.

If Namgung Hui and the Red-Haired Monster were to escape, the military strategist who had planned this supply transport would be the one to take the fall.

Even if he wasn't that smart, there was no way a person who sat in the position of a military strategist would not have expected such an obvious result.

Because it was such an obvious result, wasn't the other party also flustered?

'Don't tell me he's planning to get out of it shamelessly? Saying it's a frame-up, why would I, a military strategist, plot such a thing? Then shall I also cause some confusion?'

"As you guessed, it's true that Bukgung Jinwu sent me. He even asked me to slaughter all of you."

"Hmm... It's definitely not a guy sent by the military strategist. A force that benefits from deepening the conflict... Is it the outer village that claims to be neutral? Then the Demonic Phantom is a likely candidate."

He looked at Namgung Hui's two eyes while mentioning the name of the Demonic Phantom.

With a momentum that would bite him right away if there was even a hint of surprise.

But Namgung Hui was not sent by the Demonic Phantom.

And he was not a person who would be flustered by such a question, so he just shrugged his shoulders and drew his sword.

"It seems the other side has started again, so let's have a fight too."

"Hahaha! I don't know what kind of dog bone rolled in from where, but you're going to die today...!"

Swaeaek!

The unique martial art of the Dugu family unfolded in the middle-aged man's hands.

A phantom sword that focused on irregularity rather than speed.

Unlike the splendid Plum Blossom Sword Art, it was concise yet full of changes.

-Hwikhwikhwik!

In an instant, the trajectory twisted several times, and swords poured out from various angles.

Since it was a dark space, it was difficult to recognize the trajectory of the sword.

Of course, that was limited to ordinary people.

For Namgung Hui, the trajectory of the sword was clearly visible even in such a dark space.

He saw through all the trajectories of the sword and deflected them.

His hair fluttered due to the sword wind, and Namgung Hui's counterattack began.

-Pat.

If the sword of the Dugu family contained the mysteries of the phantom sword, this time, the mysteries of the phantom were contained in Namgung Hui's feet.

Phantom Shadow Steps. The chapter of the opening battle. The Waning Moon.

As if to announce the prelude to the opening battle, the long shadow stretched out by the moonlight filled the dark space.

As a presence arose from the shadow, it seemed that Namgung Hui was not alone.

As Namgung Hui rolled his feet and spurred on, a presence was felt from all directions, and his vision became dizzy.

The middle-aged man of the Dugu family who saw this opened his eyes wide and shouted.

"Illusion? Is it really the force of the Demonic Phantom!"

In a way, the Phantom Shadow Steps ran to the extreme of change, to the point of causing such a misunderstanding.

But since Namgung Hui's proficiency was not that deep, the effect of the Waning Moon did not last long.

"No. I saw wrong. I almost suspected an innocent person. If it's like this, I have no choice but to capture him alive and make him confess!"

The middle-aged man who had finished speaking raised a murderous intent from his body.

If the previous act was to sound out each other's realms.

Now it felt like he was genuinely trying to subdue Namgung Hui.

He once again performed the phantom sword and blocked Namgung Hui's vision.

A sword momentum that exuded a much faster and more brilliant change than before.

It wasn't just change that was exuded from his sword.

-Huuuung...!

A sword aura that soared up about two feet.

It dominated the already narrow space and even sealed Namgung Hui's footsteps.

The space to step on disappeared as if all space had been blocked.

But Namgung Hui pushed through that narrow gap and pushed the Phantom Shadow Steps to create his own space.

It was as if he were pioneering a path in a game of Go.

-Hwikhwikhwik! Chakchakchak!

In a moment of farce, a chase of being chased and chasing came and went.

The group fighting the Red-Haired Monster on the side was so splendid that they were dazzled by the bloody battle between Namgung Hui and the middle-aged man.

The two, who had reached the realm of creation beyond the extreme of change, finally faced each other's swords.

-Kaaang!!!

A fierce clash sound was heard, to the point of making the earlobes tremble.

What was contained in the middle-aged man's sword was not just the mysteries of the phantom, but also the mysteries of a heavy sword.

This was one of the characteristics of the Dugu family's sword art.

It didn't just contain the mysteries of the phantom, but just grazing it gave a huge sense of pressure.

That was why, when one usually faced the sword of the Dugu family, they would be crushed by this heavy pressure and unable to block the next technique.

But.

-Chaeng!

Namgung Hui, as if he had expected this follow-up technique, skillfully extended his sword and blocked the middle-aged man's sword.

"Oho. To endure this and even capture the trajectory of the sword. Not only are you calm. Your eyes are also quite outstanding."

"The sword art of the Dugu family. It's certainly useful. But it's not enough to be one of the Six Families that represent the Divine Cult with just this."

"Hahaha! You feel it's lacking because I haven't shown you everything yet. Now. Look. This is just the beginning, this is the essence of the Four Illusions Sword Art."

-Sasasasasak.

The middle-aged man's sword became blurry, as if it were assimilating with the darkness.

Even if the moonlight shone on his sword, its appearance was by no means revealed.

Nevertheless, in Namgung Hui's senses, it felt as if a clear sword aura was felt from his hand.

-Sageuk!

In an instant, Namgung Hui's clothes were cut.

The sword had flown and cut Namgung Hui's collar before he could even recognize it.

If Namgung Hui's senses had not been keen, it would not have been strange if a part of his body had been cut.

Namgung Hui now also erased his smile and gripped his sword.

Then he slowly nodded and immediately turned around and extended his sword.

It was such a fast movement that the sound of the sword's friction was heard before Namgung Hui had completely turned around.

-Kaaang!! Kangkangkang!

It was such a fast clash that to the martial artists of the Dugu family who were watching from the side, it just looked as if a sword light was flashing in the darkness.

The middle-aged man's sword was engulfed in darkness and could not be seen.

And Namgung Hui's sword was moving so fast that it was in a realm that could not be recognized by sight.

Phantom vs. Fast.

Change and speed competed to see who was superior.

Darkness and light coveted each other's territory, and they stole and were stolen from each other's space.

A stalemate where no one could gain an advantage.

That tense tug-of-war was soon broken by a single technique that was performed.

-Beonjjeok!

The light flickered, and the pitch-black darkness was cleared away.

Although it was only a temporary phenomenon, it shone so brightly that everyone in the pavilion could fully recognize it.

The match was decided.

"Keulleok! T-this can't be, the Dugu family's Four Illusions Sword Art lost..."

Teolseok.

Although the Asura Captain had said not to kill him.

The middle-aged man was not an opponent that Namgung Hui could subdue while holding back.

To subdue him, he would have had to perform the martial arts of the Thunder Sect.

If so, Namgung Hui's identity would have been revealed to the whole world, so he couldn't do that.

So in the end, he had performed the Light-Splitting Sword Art based on the Sun-Shooting Sword Art.

As a result, a strong light was generated due to the unbearable speed.

And the sword, which exuded the ki of yang-gang, melted the middle-aged man's heart and lungs.

That was why, even though he was a martial artist who had reached the Extreme Demonic, he could not even utter a few words and died.

The darkness that had been cast began to clear, and the tragic scene was revealed.

"F-father!"

The martial artist who had been telling Namgung Hui various stories cried out.

Who would have expected that his father would suddenly become a lonely soul?

And in the Blood Heaven Peak, where no enemy could enter, it was even more unthinkable.

Although Namgung Hui thought of it as part of his revenge, seeing him cry out for his father, his heart did not feel at ease.

At that sight, the Red-Haired Monster placed his hand on Namgung Hui's shoulder and added a word.

"Revenge is not always a refreshing thing. That's why they say the best revenge is forgiveness. If you're not confident you won't become the same as them, it might be better not to do it. And revenge begets another revenge. If you don't kill the young man in front of you now, his blade will aim for your neck later."

Namgung Hui, without even realizing that the Red-Haired Monster had dropped his formal speech, raised his head and stared at the young man of the Dugu family.

Just a moment ago, because he had been so cooperative, he had not only spared his life but also not even tortured him.

But as the Red-Haired Monster had said, such generosity was a luxury to an enemy who was openly exuding killing intent.

'This is what I resolved after reading the first Cult Leader's diary. I can't be shaken now.'

If the chain of revenge continued.

He just had to break all those chains with his own hands.

Even if that process was to walk the path of Asura.

Namgung Hui, who had made his resolve, gripped his sword again and renewed his fighting spirit.

And so, another confrontation occurred, and the moment he was about to clash with the martial artists of the Dugu family.

-Cheokcheokcheok! Cheokcheokcheok!

Presences rushed in from all directions, and in an instant, he was surrounded.

(End of Chapter)