Rebirth of the Thunder God

"But child of the Namgung family. Why is another's magic remaining on your body?"

"What do you mean by that?"

As Namgung Hui tilted his head and asked, the Demonic Phantom stroked her chin and half-closed her eyes.

"It's just as I said. Someone has cast a spell on your body. And it's quite a high-level spell. I immediately dispelled it because I felt uneasy, but it's no ordinary skill. Since I only noticed it now, it's probably natural that you didn't know until now."

"..."

If he didn't have a clue, he wouldn't know, but among the people Namgung Hui had met so far, there were those who wouldn't be strange to know high-level magic.

First of all, the Blood Qilin he had met most recently.

She had used the barrier, which was a type of magic, with great skill.

And hadn't she even had a power struggle with him?

In that process, it wouldn't have been strange if some kind of magic had remained on Namgung Hui's body.

But Namgung Hui judged that she, whom he had respectfully called Great-Aunt-in-Law, would not have left such a spell on his body.

If so, another candidate was the First General.

He had a strange spiritual eye called the Three Eyes, and since he didn't seem to have learned martial arts, he thought he might be a magic user instead.

Because those who possessed a spiritual eye usually had their upper dantian opened, so it was easy to learn magic.

The next candidate was Cheongi-ja, whom he had met with the First General.

The people of the Jegal family had clear minds and showed a talent for Qimen Dunjia rather than martial arts.

Since magic was also a type of Qimen Dunjia.

If it was Cheongi-ja, whose intentions were still unknown, it wouldn't be strange at all if he had left a spell on Namgung Hui's body.

'There are many who are trying to monitor me. This is why being popular is also a problem.'

Although the direction of his popularity was slightly distorted, it was true that Namgung Hui was popular in many ways.

The Hoicheon Association, the Blood Cult, the masters of the orthodox faction.

Besides them, countless marriage proposals were pouring in at this very moment.

"You have a face that has many guesses. The Jade Qilin of the Namgung family is quite handsome, right? You're going to have a hard time because of women in the future."

"Master, can you also read faces?"

"I can read them roughly, but how can I read your face when I don't even know it? I'm just saying the situation is like that. Anyway. Now that you've tasted illusion, do you have a sense of how to deal with it?"

Although it was rough, he did have a sense.

First of all, the beginning of illusion was sight.

He shouldn't look into the eyes of the caster who was casting the illusion.

"First, I have to avoid the magic user's gaze. After that, I'll have to block the other five senses one by one."

"A good answer. Yes. When I made eye contact with you, I had already planted the seed. Of course, since your realms were high, if you had set your mind to it, you could have shaken it off."

Although the Demonic Phantom spoke lightly, illusion was not a trick that could be shaken off just by setting one's mind to it.

Well, if he had meditated or immediately entered into circulation, he might have been able to solve it, but doing such an act in the middle of a battle was no different from a suicide act.

Realistically, he would have to wait for the illusion to subside while making a fuss.

In that process, there was a high probability that the one who would be harmed would be the ally next to him.

That was why, in the Righteous-Demonic War, there were many cases of killing one's sworn brothers due to the Demonic Phantom.

'Besides, he hasn't even cast a high-level illusion yet. This must be an easy type of illusion.'

Of course, it wouldn't be a completely basic illusion.

Because Namgung Hui and Beak Seolhwa would not be fooled by such a novice spell.

"But even if you block the five senses, it's not like you won't be caught in an illusion at all. Will you try blocking your five senses?"

Namgung Hui, as the Demonic Phantom said, closed his eyes and then slowly erased the rest of his senses one by one.

In the first place, the act of blocking the senses like this was also quite a difficult task.

Because it meant that he could perfectly understand and control his body.

Namgung Hui, who easily performed such a high-level technique.

The Demonic Phantom also looked at him with a rather interested gaze as Namgung Hui blocked his five senses in an instant.

"Now I'll cast the illusion. Don't be surprised no matter what happens. It's all an illusion."

If she was going to warn him so kindly, it would have been nice if she had told him before.

At least he wouldn't have been rebuked by Seomun Hye for holding Beak Seolhwa's hand.

After the Demonic Phantom's words ended, a subtle sensation brushed past his mind, and the scenery slowly changed, and before he knew it, Namgung Hui was on a battlefield.

"Waaaah! Kill the demonic heads!"

"Don't spare the hypocrites of the orthodox faction!"

'This is the entrance to the Valley of Despair, right? Is this a memory from my past life?'

As expected of an illusion, it brought out another's memory at will.

Since it wasn't a sight that Namgung Hui particularly liked, he couldn't help but frown.

A sea of corpses and blood.

Corpses were piled up like mountains, and blood flowed, forming a sea.

He wondered who would like the sight of a battlefield that was reminiscent of a pandemonium.

And on that battlefield, he saw the figure of a familiar person.

Beak Seolhwa. No, Sosu Mahu.

She, the Vice Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, was approaching Namgung Hui.

"Thunder God. Let's see the end today. I will burn your soul and appease the souls of the cult members."

In his past life, that murderous look was very familiar, but now, he couldn't get used to it.

He didn't want to see such a sight, nor did he want to fight.

Only then did he realize why the Demonic Phantom had shown him this illusion.

'Is she showing me the situation I fear the most? Because turning into an enemy with Seolhwa is the scene I avoid the most...'

Starting as an enemy, they had become friends before he knew it.

And if he put her on a scale with other friends, she was the only one who would sink deep.

Although he couldn't dare to measure the weight of friendship, he could guarantee the weight of that emotion as much as Beak Seolhwa.

Unlike Namgung Hui's will, his mouth opened on its own, and a voice came out.

"Sosu Mahu. I'll make today your death anniversary. Since you're the Vice Cult Leader, the cult members will at least hold a memorial service for you. Hahaha!"

"Hmph! Who's talking. You won't even have anyone to hold a memorial service for you, so I'll do it for you. Instead, give me your head!"

-Kang!

Sosu Mahu wrapped her white, slender hands in a purple aura and swung at Namgung Hui's neck.

This series of processes was so fast that the aura flew before her voice reached Namgung Hui's ears.

But it was a scene that Namgung Hui was so familiar with that he could block this blow even with his eyes closed.

Sosu Mahu always came close like this on the first attack and shoved her face in.

As if to catch up after a long time.

'Seolhwa's face was beautiful at that time too. Perhaps because of the side effects of the Sosu Demonic Art, she didn't get wrinkles, and her skin was as white and radiant as snow.'

Rather, wasn't it because of that appearance that she got the title of witch?

It was natural for a person to get wrinkles on their skin as they aged, but Sosu Mahu did not age, as if she had learned the art of preserving her youthful appearance.

It was presumed to be one of the side effects of the ice art, and perhaps because her skin contracted due to the cold qi, wrinkles did not form well.

On top of that, her profound internal energy must have also had an effect.

Because the Sosu Demonic Art, in a similar context to the Boy Art, gave a huge amount of internal energy in exchange for not getting close to men.

-Kang! Kagagang! Pak!

And so, the boring fight was reenacted in front of his eyes.

Namgung Hui closed his eyes and spread his consciousness far.

Then, he began to see other scenes, not the scene of fighting with Beak Seolhwa.

'That's my sworn brother and the Heavenly Demon, right? As expected, they were moving their positions.'

And as Namgung Hui had guessed, they were flying in the direction of the Kunlun Mountains.

They were moving so fast that his sworn brother was flying on his sword.

The so-called Sword-Riding Flight.

The essence of sword art, which was even more outstanding than the realm of simple sword control.

It wasn't just for show, but because it boasted a truly practical and tremendous speed.

While Namgung Hui was lost in thought for a moment, his sworn brother disappeared into a dot.

And the Heavenly Demon was the same.

After dismissing his subordinates, he kicked off the air and flew.

Heavenly Stride? Or Void Steps? Void-Treading Steps?

That was not a legendary lightness technique, but just moving with the power of internal energy.

The Heavenly Demon Divine Art was a divine art with extreme destructive power.

He just kicked the air, but he flew at almost the same speed as his sworn brother.

'As expected, I shouldn't let the Heavenly Demon Divine Art fall into the hands of the Blood Cult. To show such power even in a lightness technique.'

Namgung Hui once again imprinted the direction in which his sworn brother and the Heavenly Demon had disappeared in his eyes and nodded slightly.

And at the same time.

-Puhak!

Sosu Mahu's leg flew off.

And Namgung Hui's left wrist also flew off.

"Keuk! How dare you take my leg...!"

"And didn't you take my wrist, Mahu? Then let's see what you'll give me next."

And so, Namgung Hui closed his eyes tightly at the continuing bloody battle with Sosu Mahu and focused his mind.

This was an illusion.

To be precise, it was an unconscious memory remaining in Namgung Hui's mind.

If so, if it was a memory being reenacted from Namgung Hui, there was no reason he couldn't stop it himself.

'It's not just about blocking the five senses, it's about blocking something else. Then where...'

The place that governed memory was the brain.

It was no different from saying that the brain was the upper dantian.

Namgung Hui's upper dantian had been opened long ago when he was struck by lightning.

And he could fully recognize and utilize it.

Namgung Hui focused his mind on the Baihui acupoint and observed his upper dantian.

A faint wave was felt from the part of the brain that governed memory.

As expected, a subtle wave had been created in sync with the illusion cast by the Demonic Phantom.

If so, if he just suppressed that wave, the illusion in front of him would disappear.

Namgung Hui slowly began to suppress the wave of ki by matching it in reverse.

The wave slowly lost its force and stopped.

And as that wave weakened, the illusion in front of him also faded and disappeared.

Although Namgung Hui was secretly glad to see Sosu Mahu after a long time, it was not a very pleasant feeling at that time.

It was a battlefield where hundreds, thousands of people had died.

If he had liked and enjoyed such a scene, Namgung Hui would have been better off becoming a demonic head.

And so, as the illusion disappeared, the Demonic Phantom greeted Namgung Hui with a rather surprised expression.

"How on earth did you break the illusion? I haven't taught you the dispelling method yet, have I?"

"If you just grasp the basic principle, it's not a difficult task to break it. Besides, it wasn't a very pleasant memory. I just broke it on my own."

"Hmm... An unpleasant memory? The illusion I cast on you wasn't that. What on earth did you see that you call it an unpleasant memory?"

Namgung Hui glanced at Beak Seolhwa and then continued.

"I just watched my enemy from my past life and people dying in droves."

"Past life? Hahaha! Was it a joke? Indeed, the illusion I cast was a spell that made you recall a memory you absolutely needed. I hope it was helpful."

Indeed, as the Demonic Phantom had said, since he had clearly remembered the direction in which the Heavenly Demon and his sworn brother had disappeared.

The journey to find the Heavenly Demon Divine Art seemed to be somewhat easier.

So he became even more puzzled.

Why was the Demonic Phantom showing such favor to Namgung Hui, who was just a stranger?

At first, he had thought it was because of the Saintess, Seong Sohui, but that was already a settled matter.

And the scene she had shown him now, along with the illusion, was a favor she didn't have to bestow.

That was why Namgung Hui was about to ask the Demonic Phantom again.

"Demonic Phantom! The military strategist Bukgung has invaded with his troops!"

It seemed an uninvited guest had come in a swarm.

(End of Chapter)