Rebirth of the Thunder God

[Three Talents Sword Art]

Even after examining each Chinese character one by one, it was indeed the Three Talents Sword Art that could be found even in the marketplace.

Namgung Hui glared at the hopping Chichi, but still, thinking he should read the secret manual, he turned the pages.

[Heaven, Earth, and Man. Mount Tai Crushing the Summit, Sweeping Across a Thousand Armies, Wind and Rain in All Directions...]

The incantation was certainly rather simple, perhaps because it was a third-rate martial art.

Although Namgung Hui did not know the incantation of the Three Talents Sword Art circulating in the market, it was probably similar to this.

When he turned the next page, this time there were only pictures without any incantation.

'Does he not even want to talk now? What a disappointment.'

Vertical slash, horizontal slash, thrust.

Only three techniques were drawn.

Well, judging by the drawing style, it seemed to have been drawn by a skilled artist, as it looked delicate and each movement seemed to have a meaning.

'Wait... The more I look at this, the more amazing it is. If the opponent attacks like that, it would be quite difficult to block.'

Strangely, as he looked at the picture, he felt as if the middle-aged man in the picture was attacking him.

Namgung Hui also unfolded his martial arts in his mind and tried to respond to the Three Talents Sword Art, but it was difficult to block with ordinary martial arts.

He had to use the martial arts of the Thunder Sect with the Purple Thunder Divine Art to have a relatively easy time, but when he blocked the Mount Tai Crushing the Summit technique, it was difficult to block the Sweeping Across a Thousand Armies.

It was quite interesting.

It felt like playing a game of go, giving and receiving.

Namgung Hui, who had become stubborn, unfolded his mental image and began to implement the martial arts concretely.

-Seureureuk.

As Namgung Hui closed his eyes, the secret manual of the Three Talents Sword Art turned on its own, and the pictures danced.

Although Namgung Hui did not see the strange situation, it was clearly drawn in his mind.

Three Talents Sword Art versus Azure Sky Boundless Sword Art.

For a simple and clear sword art, there was nothing like the Namgung family's sword art.

Both felt as if they were crushing the opponent with overwhelming power.

Of course, that was the feeling limited to Mount Tai Crushing the Summit, and Sweeping Across a Thousand Armies was different.

Fast horizontal slashes scattered and attacked in a wide range.

Namgung Hui quickly blocked all the sword ki with the Light-Splitting Sword Art.

-Kagagang. Kagagang.

Still, the remaining sword ki aimed at Namgung Hui.

Namgung Hui, thinking that if he pulled out here, it would be no different from losing to the likes of the Three Talents Sword Art, quickly unfolded the next technique.

Lightning Flash Thirteen Thunders. The sixth technique, Falling Thunder.

Kwagwagwang!

Lightning fell from the sky, and the energy of the Sweeping Across a Thousand Armies was extinguished.

To think that he had to use his own ultimate technique to barely deal with it.

And Namgung Hui had unfolded two techniques.

The Three Talents Sword Art was only one, Sweeping Across a Thousand Armies.

'This...! It's definitely not a simple Three Talents Sword Art!'

Only the name and form were the same, but the inherent principles were completely different.

To the point where it could be seen as a separate martial art.

'No. This must be the original Three Talents Sword Art. According to oral tradition, the Three Talents Sword Art was created by Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of the Wudang Sect.'

Zhang Sanfeng, a figure who was always mentioned when picking the three strongest martial artists since ancient times.

Along with him, the first Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Bodhidharma of the Shaolin Temple were the trio.

They were all famous enough for even children to remember their names.

And it was said that they all reached the realm of the Divine and succeeded in ascending to immortality.

Although some said that there was no way the likes of the Heavenly Demon could have succeeded in ascending, even if he had not ascended, it would have been an act of his own will.

Anyway, If it was a martial art created by such an absolute master, there was no way it could be an ordinary martial art.

To be stored in the Imperial Palace's secret repository like this, it must be a divine art.

Namgung Hui, to witness the last remaining technique of the Three Talents Sword Art, returned to his mental image and faced the sword.

The middle-aged man. The Taoist who now looked like Zhang Sanfeng nodded.

It felt as if he was telling Namgung Hui to come in, as he was ready.

Namgung Hui also smiled and unfolded his technique.

Lightning Flash Thirteen Thunders. The seventh technique, Flashing Thunder.

Explosive Thunder Palm. The secret technique. Thunder Ring.

He even drew on the Two Forms Divine Art and unfolded two techniques at the same time.

Could the Zhang Sanfeng in his mental image block those two martial arts with just one technique this time?

As if to mock such a Namgung Hui's test, the corners of Zhang Sanfeng's mouth curled up, and he thrust his sword forward.

Three Talents Sword Art, the third technique, Wind and Rain in All Directions.

It was a technique that used the absolute striking point, similar to the method Namgung Hui had used before.

But, the martial art that Namgung Hui had unfolded had various angles and an undeniable level of power, so it couldn't be blocked with just a simple thrust like that.

But Zhang Sanfeng did it.

No, it would be more appropriate to say that the Three Talents Sword Art did it, but anyway. Namgung Hui couldn't believe it even after witnessing it with his own two eyes.

This was a duel that unfolded in Namgung Hui's consciousness, so Namgung Hui had no choice but to recognize it better than anyone else.

It was a calculation that if the internal energy and level were equal, it could be blocked with only the power of the Three Talents Sword Art.

'Three Talents Sword Art...! Amazing!'

Namgung Hui, after appreciating the third technique, escaped from the mental image world.

As he gently opened his eyes, a change had occurred in the secret manual of the Three Talents Sword Art in his hand.

All the pictures that had been drawn before had disappeared.

And in their place, the names of the techniques that had not been seen were newly written.

First technique. Heavenly Dragon Emerges.

Second technique. Phoenix Crosses.

Third technique. Immortal's Path.

And new incantations were recognized in Namgung Hui's mind, who had recognized those technique names.

They came to mind on their own, as if he had known them from the beginning.

'What a strange harmony. And the principles of this Three Talents Sword Art were a sword art that was truly faithful to the basics. It reminds me of the time when I first entered the world of martial arts.'

It felt like going back to the beginning and honing the basics.

Most of all, since it was a principle that also matched Namgung Hui's thoughts, there was no awkwardness at all.

Originally, as the fight between masters progressed, it was often decided by whose basics were outstanding.

The techniques and principles that were consciously unfolded had a clear limit.

And in the fight of the super masters who entered the realm of the unconscious, of course, the difference in basics divided the gap.

With a satisfied expression, Namgung Hui put the secret manual in his robes.

The Sword Spirit, who had been watching this quietly, poked its head out and looked at Namgung Hui as if it were amazing.

[Are you perhaps a master of returning to youth? How can a later-generation disciple who is only twenty implement a mental image world?]

"If I can do it, I can do it. What's so amazing about it? Anyway, Chichi. Thanks to you, I got a good martial art. Thank you."

[Don't mention it. But I did find something else. This looks really dangerous.]

"Did you find a demonic art?"

[Probably?]

There was no way Chichi would make such a fuss over a simple demonic art secret manual.

It would be reasonable to see it as a demonic art that could be really dangerous to Namgung Hui.

The Sword Spirit, as if sympathizing with Chichi's opinion, floated in the air and made a fuss.

[This time it's a really dangerous secret manual. Even if you're a master of returning to youth, this won't be easy.]

"How dangerous is it? Let's take a look. Where is it?"

Chichi pointed to the box in the far corner.

[This is it. It looks dangerous just by looking at it, right?]

Perhaps because the Imperial Palace had also recognized the danger, it was put in a box and sealed with iron chains.

As if that wasn't enough, a talisman was also attached, and a formation was even spread out.

Namgung Hui wanted to break the seal out of curiosity, but since he didn't want a really dangerous martial art to come out into the world, he suppressed his curiosity.

"It looks really dangerous, so I'll have to hold back this time. What on earth is the demonic art inside that it's sealed like this?"

[I. I think I know what this martial art is.]

"Sword Spirit. You know this demonic art? You, whose memories are also sealed?"

[Not all my memories are sealed. This demonic art is also one of the memories remaining in my head. Hmm. What was the name... Ah. That's right! It was the Nine Yin White Bone Claw.]

"Nine Yin White Bone Claw? I've heard that name before... Don't tell me! Is it that evil art?"

A wicked martial art that was difficult to even see as a demonic art.

It was a name he remembered because he had heard it from his master.

Since it was a martial art of an ancient era, his master had said he had never seen it.

The ancient era, the time when the Northern Darkness Divine Art and the Dugu Nine Swords existed.

He remembered his master earnestly telling him that it was an evil art that had made a vicious name for itself at that time.

'Master. What is the most vicious among the martial arts?'

'Vicious. First, the Nine Yin White Bone Claw comes to mind. It's a very cruel and vicious evil art that absorbs the innate true ki by sticking one's fingers into a child's skull. It only existed in the ancient era and is a martial art that has disappeared now, so this master has never seen it.'

Unlike the acquired true ki that was accumulated through internal energy cultivation methods, the innate true ki was incomparable in its purity and explosive power.

The moment of the so-called final radiance was also caused by this innate true ki burning.

This innate true ki could not be used by ordinary methods.

There were some martial arts that were unfolded by consuming the innate true ki in exchange for life in demonic or evil arts like that.

Of course, since they had used the innate true ki, which was no different from the source of life, the side effects were bound to be severe.

But his master had said that unlike the Star-Absorbing Great Art that extorted other people's internal energy, the Nine Yin White Bone Claw had almost no side effects.

Because it took the life of a child and paid the price with the victim's sacrifice.

And it was said that as much as the innate true ki was accumulated, the achievement was terrifying.

The speed of becoming stronger was also unprecedented, and the power was said to be at the forefront among the martial arts of the ancient era.

That was why it was so evil and dangerous that the immortals of the Great Kunlun had eliminated the Nine Yin White Bone Claw.

'Why does it exist in front of me? Did the immortals of the Great Kunlun not handle it properly at that time?'

The Imperial Palace also knew the danger, so it seemed they had sealed it like this and not touched it.

Since Namgung Hui also had no clear method for now, it seemed better to consult with a trustworthy person later.

Although he wanted to burn this secret manual here, there was no guarantee that he could break the seal, and since there was no need to stir up trouble, he gave up.

Namgung Hui told Chichi and the Sword Spirit the explanation of the Nine Yin White Bone Claw that he had come up with.

[It's a really dangerous demonic art, isn't it? By the way, the fact that I remember it, does that mean I'm also an existence from the ancient era?]

"I don't know. It could be a story someone told you, just like me. It seems there are no more useful secret manuals."

[No. It's not as good as the first secret manual you obtained, but it seems there's still something useful. Unfold the secret manual stuck in the middle over there.]

Namgung Hui nodded and picked up the secret manual that the Sword Spirit had pointed at.

[Supreme Purity Peerless Divine Art]

"Oho. To think there was a martial art of the Kunlun Sect here."

A martial art name that was also familiar to Namgung Hui.

The Supreme Purity Peerless Divine Art was the cultivation method that the sect leaders of the Kunlun Sect learned.

Indeed, should he say that the collection power of the Imperial Palace was amazing?

To think that the martial art of the Kunlun Sect, which was no different from a destroyed sect, was sleeping in the Imperial Palace.

Still, it was a great fortune that the secret manual was not lost or flowed to other wicked groups.

Since such a greedy imperial family would have stored it in the secret repository rather than giving it to others, it was a good thing from the Kunlun Sect's perspective.

'Later, I could use this as a pretext to recruit the Kunlun Sect. Other sects might have cooperated in this way as well.'

If a family had lost its ultimate technique, the Imperial Palace could have asked them to join the Hoicheon Association in exchange for returning the martial art.

An ordinary family would not be able to easily refuse the conditions offered by the Imperial Palace.

No matter how hateful the Imperial Palace was, they were not a wicked demonic cult.

If they could grasp both the justification and the practical benefits, it would be a hundred times better to join the Hoicheon Association.

'But if I take this and leave, it will be difficult to recruit the Kunlun Sect. And since I have to leave for the Kunlun Mountains soon to find a clue to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, it's a good thing.'

Although the Secret Sect Great Hand Seal and the Three Talents Sword Art were also great harvests, considering the immediate benefits, this Supreme Purity Peerless Divine Art felt more welcome.

Namgung Hui patted the Thunder God Sword and praised the Sword Spirit.

"Well done. Sword Spirit. If you keep doing this, I might be able to give you the spirit medicines I get from time to time."

[Really?! It's a promise?]

"Yes. I have other spirit herbs, so just tell me."

[Hee hee. Alright! I'll work hard from now on!]

Namgung Hui, who was watching the frivolous Sword Spirit, suddenly felt a cold sensation from behind, quickly drew his Thunder God Sword, and turned around.

(End of Chapter)