Rebirth of the Thunder God

"This is the place. The place where Cheongheo, whom you wanted to meet so much, is."

Namgung Hui and Jang Hwang looked at the dizzying cliff in front of them.

There were no structures installed here.

If so, where was the place where Cheongheo Jin-in was sealed?

‘I see traces of someone having gone down.’

It seemed he was sealed in a cave below the cliff.

The cliff was so dizzying that one couldn't even dream of escaping, and just looking at it made one feel dizzy.

It wasn't for nothing that he hadn't shown it to Jeok Hwarin.

"Is Cheongheo Jin-in down here?"

"That's right. You can go down by holding onto this rope."

Since Namgung Hui was also a fist user, he knew how to perform the Wall Tiger Art well enough.

This much was just one of the many training sessions his master had made him do.

"I will go down first with the Maoshan Sect Leader."

"Hoho. What an impatient Daoist friend. But that won't do. The one who has learned the binding art must go down first and check the situation. Cheongjin. Lead the way."

"Yes. Senior Brother."

Cheongjin Jin-in, perhaps because his specialty was in binding arts, felt his Ki was firm from the start.

Perhaps Cheongjin Jin-in had also set up the sealing art.

He knew that Namgung Hui's speculation was correct when he arrived at the cave below the cliff.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader. There is no problem with the seal."

"Good from the start. Then prepare the binding art and release the seal."

The security was so tight that it was as if Cheongheo Jin-in were some kind of heavenly demon.

Well, since it was better to be safe than sorry, Namgung Hui also welcomed the thorough preparation of countermeasures.

Jang Hwang, who had followed Namgung Hui, was also looking at the unique Daoist art with interest, different from sorcery.

"Then I will begin."

Cheongjin Jin-in, who was mumbling something as if performing a Daoist art.

The faint, cool scent felt from his side vaguely informed him of the type of Ki art he had learned.

‘This scent is the Cool and Clear Heart Art.’

A heart art that could only be learned if one's innate disposition was good.

Unlike that disposition, the energy emanating from him was incomparably powerful.

A firm momentum, as if it would bind everything.

As the sealing art was released, the binding art flew into the cave.

Although he had performed an intangible Daoist art, the sound of something being bound was heard.

Was it as if it had been wrapped tightly with an iron chain?

Even now, the sound of iron clashing filled the inside of the cave.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader. The binding art also proceeded without a hitch."

"Good. Then let's go inside. Namgung Daoist friend, you should also follow."

Finally, they entered the cave where Cheongheo Jin-in was said to be.

A damp and musty smell was the first to greet Namgung Hui.

And mushrooms and rock honey that had bloomed here and there poked their heads out to greet the party.

A single drop of water falling from a stalactite.

It was falling on the man with disheveled hair who seemed to be Cheongheo Jin-in.

Cheongheo Jin-in, with his limbs tightly bound, was receiving the water droplets falling from above.

At that pitiful sight, Cheongjin and the Sect Leader made bitter expressions.

"Tsk. Although we have no choice but to do this, my heart is not at ease."

"Me too. Senior Brother."

"But what can we do? If we release Cheongheo, a bloody incident will surely occur... Then, while the binding art is maintained, go ahead and take care of your business. Namgung Daoist friend."

Namgung Hui nodded his head and approached Cheongheo Jin-in, who was bound to the wall.

He licked his lips as if he had satisfactorily quenched his thirst and then lowered his head.

Namgung Hui naturally met Cheongheo Jin-in's eyes and asked.

"Cheongheo Jin-in."

"Cheong...heo...?"

A voice like scratching iron.

It seemed his throat was not in good condition as he had not spoken for a long time.

Even though his Daoist title was called, his memory was not intact.

Namgung Hui, realizing that he could not solve this with just a conversation, said to Jang Hwang behind him.

"Brother. It seems we have to enter his mental world while he still has some reason."

"Alright. I'll prepare right away."

Jang Hwang, who had finished his words, took out a bundle of talismans and began to chant an incantation.

This time, Cheongjin Jin-in looked at Jang Hwang with interest.

And as if he had felt something from the incantation Jang Hwang was chanting, he muttered with an impressed expression.

"As expected, the Maoshan Sect Leader's method of performing sorcery is also unique and amazing. Senior Brother."

"What do you see in your eyes? This senior brother has no idea."

"There is power in words. Chanting a mantra consumes that much mental power. So the preparation time is not insignificant. But the Sect Leader is fluently reciting the mantra without such prior preparation."

"Oho. Is it a realm where movement follows as the heart wills? He has accumulated great study."

And so, while the Kunlun Sect Daoists were watching, Jang Hwang, who had finished his preparations, half-opened his eyes and said.

"Brother. The preparations are complete. I will send you to the mental world right away, so prepare your heart."

"My heart has been ready for a long time."

"I've warned you before, but you must not be influenced by the mental body. Then your memories could get mixed up, and you could both lose your identities."

If it were another person, it would be different, but Namgung Hui, who had already experienced reincarnation, was different.

Hadn't he firmly established his identity by recalling the memories of his past life?

The experience he had once would be a great help at a time like this.

As it was, Namgung Hui's mental power was also quite outstanding.

‘Still, there's no harm in being careful. Then let's go in.’

As Namgung Hui nodded his head, a sacred energy flowed from Jang Hwang and stirred his mind.

Soon, that energy left Namgung Hui's body and connected with Cheongheo Jin-in, and at that, his vision went dark, and a dizzying sensation struck his whole body.

A feeling as if his soul were leaving his body, as if it were an out-of-body experience.

He could roughly guess how Jang Hwang hid his presence.

And so, when Namgung Hui's blackened vision refocused, the surrounding scenery had all changed.

‘Is this the Kunlun Mountains?’

It seemed to be a place not far from the Kunlun Sect, but it was still a mountainside of the Kunlun Mountains, far from the Kunlun Sect.

Animals were running around here and there, and the chirping of mountain birds also sounded friendly.

And an old man was standing in front of him, and with his white Daoist robe and white beard, he thought this person might be the Heavenly Dao Immortal.

"Master. I have sent the letter as you ordered. What should I do now?"

"Today, we will go out to the mortal world for the first time in a long time. Do not tell your senior and junior brothers, and follow me quietly."

"Yes!"

Perhaps because he was happy to go out to the mortal world for the first time in a long time, Cheongheo Jin-in smiled brightly and followed the Heavenly Dao Immortal.

And so, the place they ran to and arrived at was the village below where he had met Nahi before.

"We will meet the monster called the six-tailed fox. That bitch is quite pretty, so be careful not to be bewitched."

"Yes."

The Heavenly Dao Immortal went to Nahi's abandoned shrine, met her, and after talking about this and that, began to teach her the transformation art.

"Push your waist in a little more."

"Like this?"

"Yes. And stick out your chest more."

"Um... Immortal. Do we really have to do this? I don't know why I have to move my body so much for a transformation art."

"Ahem. Sorcery also requires the body to support it to be performed. It's not for nothing that the Daoist sect lays the foundation with gymnastics."

Perhaps because the Heavenly Dao Immortal's guidance was unpleasant.

Nahi briefly distanced herself from him and made a troubled expression.

Even from Namgung Hui's perspective, there was certainly a lot of unnecessary physical contact.

At first, he had thought it was because it was a realm of Daoist art that Namgung Hui did not know, but as Nahi had said, such a posture was not important for a transformation art.

‘Heavenly Dao Immortal. Something is suspicious.’

That fragment of memory ended with Nahi completely learning the transformation art.

Then, this time, it showed another memory, and this time, it was a place that Namgung Hui had also visited a short time ago.

‘It's Namgung Cheonjung's tomb.’

As Namgung Hui had already guessed, Cheongheo Jin-in had found the manual of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

"If I learn this, I can become as strong as my master, right? Good."

But the entry into the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was so high that it was excessive.

Moreover, the gentle martial arts of the Kunlun Sect and the hegemonic Heavenly Demon Divine Art were different from the very trajectory.

Of course, without a master's guidance, there was no way he could completely learn the Heavenly Demon Divine Art he was learning for the first time.

In the end, Cheongheo Jin-in fell into Qi deviation and became his current self.

Perhaps the reason he had shown the memory was to let Namgung Hui know why he had ended up in this state.

When the scene in front of him ended, a bottomless pit as dark as pitch now spread out before Namgung Hui.

Perhaps this was the world of the subconscious that Jang Hwang had talked about.

Scenes that looked like fragments of memory were passing by like a revolving lantern here and there in the bottomless pit.

Namgung Hui closed his eyes and flew towards the place where the most intense presence was felt.

With a floating sensation, he flew towards that place in an instant.

"Cheongheo Jin-in."

"..."

"I know you're listening. From now on, I will remove the cause of the Qi deviation. Prepare yourself."

Forced execution.

As Jang Hwang had said, if he cut out the memory part, he could alleviate the symptoms of Qi deviation.

That was, of course, the work of erasing the incantation of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, which had been the cause of the Qi deviation, from his memory.

Fortunately, in this part, selecting the memory was not that difficult.

Because all he had to do was erase the memory from the time he entered the Sword Emperor's tomb.

At that level, the side effects due to the absence of memory would also be small.

Namgung Hui drew one of the sharpest swords from his mind.

Since it was a sword that originated from the heart, it would not be an exaggeration to see it as a Heart Sword.

Of course, although its realm was different from the legendary Heart Sword, it was certain that its principle started from here.

Namgung Hui, holding the Heart Sword that was emitting a deep blue light, cut the fragment of memory he had seen a moment ago.

The mental world twisted, and all sides began to shake.

Perhaps because a gap in memory had occurred, the subconscious itself was shaking.

But Namgung Hui did not panic and, looking at the fragments of memory, destroyed and cut out all the scenes related to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

With the last fragment, his mental world also began to collapse.

Now that the cause of the Qi deviation had been removed, there was no reason to be trapped in this world any longer.

‘Then I also have to get out quickly.’

Namgung Hui, realizing that this was the most dangerous time, threw himself with all his might towards the place where the light was leaking out.

That gap was the passage to the world of consciousness.

As he squeezed out of that gap, his vision flickered, and a light flashed.

"Brother! Are you conscious?"

Namgung Hui, without even taking care of his own body, immediately looked for Cheongheo Jin-in.

"Brother. What about Cheongheo Jin-in?"

"..."

Did things not go well?

Although Namgung Hui had thought he had handled it perfectly, Jang Hwang's expression was not particularly bright.

In the end, he raised his body and looked at the wall where Cheongheo Jin-in had been tied.

"Junior brother! Please come to your senses!"

Cheongjin Jin-in, who was powerlessly supporting Cheongheo's figure.

The Sect Leader, who was looking down at this, also had a dark expression.

Namgung Hui, dragging his stiff body, approached the Sect Leader and asked.

"Sect Leader. Has Cheongheo Jin-in not woken up?"

The Sect Leader glanced at Namgung Hui and continued.

"As you can see, he is unconscious. Although he is breathing, he is in a weak state, and it is hard to see it as a better state than Qi deviation."

A tone close to reproach.

Although it didn't seem like he was resentful, the Sect Leader's gaze was only sharp.

But despite that, Namgung Hui's expression was so bright that it would brighten everyone's complexion.

"Sect Leader. I have a way."

(End of Chapter)