Rebirth of the Thunder God

"Sect Leader. I have a way."

"No. Didn't you just boast that you could fix the Qi deviation? And you're telling me to trust you again?"

The reason Namgung Hui was smiling so confidently.

It was because he knew the reason why Cheongheo Jin-in was not regaining his senses.

"Still, it's true that I removed the mental demon, which is the cause of the Qi deviation, isn't it? His consciousness will surely return. No. I will make it so."

Namgung Hui quickly passed the Sect Leader and reached Cheongheo Jin-in.

Although their permission had not been granted, it was faster to show them.

And if Namgung Hui's guess was correct, there was no good in dragging time.

-Jijijik.

A purple flash erupted from Namgung Hui's hand, and a single streak of thunder flew and struck Cheongheo Jin-in's Baihui point.

-Jjiririk!

The sound of electricity, just hearing it was stinging.

Cheongjin Jin-in, who was watching from the side, felt his mind clear up just by watching it.

"No. You. What are you doing now! Don't tell me you're trying to assassinate Cheongheo? I will not tolerate it any longer."

As Cheongjin Jin-in was about to launch an attack on Namgung Hui, the Sect Leader stepped between them and opened his mouth.

"Junior brother. Let's wait a moment. Cheongheo is starting to wake up."

Cheongheo, who was drenched in Thunder Ki.

In fact, the technique Namgung Hui had used on Cheongheo was not a grand technique like dispelling evil and upholding righteousness.

To put it simply, should I call it shock therapy?

Namgung Hui, who roughly knew how the nervous system flowed due to the opening of the electric poles, clearly remembered the fact that Thunder Ki was outstanding for the confusion caused by the absence of memory.

Right now, hadn't even Namgung Hui been able to recall the memories of his past life because of the power of the thunderbolt that had come down from the sky?

In other words, the Thunder Ki itself had the power to control the nerves.

‘On top of that, if a big shock is applied, the body will activate a defense mechanism to protect itself.’

For these various and comprehensive reasons, Cheongheo finally overcame the Qi deviation and rose to the world of consciousness.

"S-Senior brother?"

"Oh! Cheongheo. Are you coming to your senses?"

"Cheongjin senior brother. What happened? Why am I tied up here naked? My memory... Keuk...!"

Cheongheo, who let out a groan of pain while trying to recall his memories.

Since Namgung Hui had cut out his memories entirely, it would be strange if he were normal.

If so, the plan to make the whereabouts of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art unknown had also grown larger, as much as the absence of memory.

But why was Namgung Hui's expression still so bright?

"Sect Leader. Did you not see any martial arts manual when you subdued Cheongheo Jin-in?"

"We also tried to find the martial art that was the cause, but it was in vain. If we had known that, we wouldn't have borrowed your rough hands like this."

"As expected. Then may I go up now? It seems I'm disturbing the reunion between senior and junior brothers."

The Sect Leader looked at Namgung Hui with a suspicious expression.

"It was a meeting you wanted so much. Didn't you take this troublesome step to ask Cheongheo something?"

"I've found out everything I need to know from him."

"Really? If so, that's a relief. It means we don't have to bother Cheongheo anymore."

"Yes. Then I'll be on my way first. Brother. Let's go."

Namgung Hui put Jang Hwang on his back and began to climb the cliff.

Jang Hwang, who was suddenly puzzled that Namgung Hui had given up on Cheongheo Jin-in, had no choice but to ask.

"Brother. Weren't there many things to ask that Daoist? This older brother is curious why you're giving up like this."

"That's because I've obtained enough clues from the mental world. And since I've cut out his memories, even if I ask, I won't get the answer I want."

"That's true too. While removing the martial arts incantation that was the cause, there's a high probability that the scene itself was blown away. Then how do you plan to find it? And what are the clues?"

"Brother. Do you know anything about transformation arts?"

"Suddenly, transformation arts? By any chance, is the martial art you're looking for a type of transformation art? Well, if so, this older brother will explain."

Namgung Hui listened to Jang Hwang's subsequent words and added even stronger conviction to his own speculation.

‘As expected. Well, since it's still just a hypothesis, I have no choice but to meet him in person.’

Namgung Hui put Jang Hwang down on the floor and then caught Unhak, who was passing by.

"Daoist Unhak. Where can I meet Cheongsu Jin-in?"

"Senior Uncle Cheongsu is probably gathering herbs in the back mountain around now."

"The back mountain. Thank you."

Namgung Hui put Jang Hwang on his back again and performed his lightness skill towards the back mountain.

He had originally planned to leave him, but it seemed he was better than Namgung Hui when it came to Daoist arts.

Thinking about what was to come, Jang Hwang's advice was also necessary.

"Brother. Why are you looking for Cheongsu Jin-in? Did you have to go to Cheongsu Jin-in from the beginning, not Cheongheo Jin-in? I also sometimes get confused by the Daoists' titles. Hahaha."

Jang Hwang, who had a surprisingly sharp side.

As he said, there was no need to go to Cheongheo in the first place.

Namgung Hui, who had arrived at the back mountain, put Jang Hwang down and opened his mouth.

"Cheongsu Jin-in. What are you doing here?"

"Namgung Daoist friend. What am I doing? I was just doing some gymnastics in the back mountain."

"It looked quite intense for gymnastics."

"I'm just stuck in the mountains. Isn't it right to use my body vigorously sometimes? So what's the reason you came to find me?"

Namgung Hui stopped his words and stared at Cheongsu Jin-in for a long time.

"Cheongsu Jin-in. How much do you know about the Heavenly Dao Immortal?"

"The Heavenly Dao Immortal. Isn't he the immortal that my junior brother Cheongheo took as his second master? I know he recently succeeded in ascending to immortality."

"And do you also know that he is a master of transformation arts?"

"That's right. Since he had learned a transformation art similar to mine, I felt more affection for him. Why, do you also want to become a disciple of the Heavenly Dao Immortal?"

Namgung Hui smiled slyly and asked.

"Then will you also accept me as a disciple? Cheongsu... no, Heavenly Dao Immortal."

"...You've misspoken..."

"No. I am right to call you, Heavenly Dao Immortal."

Jang Hwang, who was next to him, belatedly grasped the situation, twitched his eyebrows, and said.

"If so, are you saying that the Heavenly Dao Immortal has been imitating that Daoist named Cheongsu all this time?"

"Yes. I'm 90%... no, 100% sure."

Cheongsu Jin-in narrowed his eyes and said.

"Namgung Daoist friend. I'm grateful that you misunderstand me as such a great immortal, but you've got the wrong person, and you've got it very wrong. I am not the Heavenly Dao Immortal."

Namgung Hui chuckled and suddenly began to imitate the gymnastics with his bare hands.

Just like the movements that Cheongsu Jin-in had been performing until a moment ago.

"Was it like this? The gymnastics are quite profound, so it seems it's no ordinary study."

Cheongsu's two eyes, which were watching Namgung Hui's movements, shone eerily.

"...Did Cheongheo tell you? No. That's absolutely not the situation. Where did you learn that?"

"I learned it from Cheongheo Jin-in."

Of course, it was just something he had glimpsed from the fragments of his memory.

"Are you saying Cheongheo has regained his consciousness?"

"Yes. With the help of the Sect Leader here, we broke the Qi deviation... no. The restriction."

Cheongheo was not simply in Qi deviation.

Namgung Hui, who had treated him, knew that better than anyone.

If he had acted according to the method Jang Hwang had told him, it was normal for him to have fully opened his eyes.

The reason he hadn't regained his senses despite that was because something was controlling his mind.

Namgung Hui had noticed its existence while pouring in his Thunder Ki.

It was the identity of something that was repelling the Thunder Ki.

"How did you find out?"

"You're not making excuses now. Well, alright. I'll tell you. It started with the suspicion that you were performing the same transformation art."

"The same? No. It's not that I wasn't concerned about that. The Heavenly Dao Immortal's transformation art and my transformation art are of different trajectories. The difference between imitation and application is strictly different."

"That's true, but isn't the core the mantra that makes up the transformation art? The principle of both is to compress the body and transform its shape."

The transformation art that Mungchi and Nahi had learned.

It had the principle that one could only become smaller than one's original body.

Of course, since it was compressing the body and shaping it into the desired form, it had to be so.

And as much as that, the ability of the body also weakened.

If you think about the bone shrinking art among the disguise arts, it would be easier to understand.

"You even figured out that principle? It seems you've obtained a spiritual eye. What a great intuition."

If Namgung Hui hadn't learned the Dividing Thunder Flashing Shadow recently, he might not have noticed this.

Thanks to the third sect leader, he had noticed that the Heavenly Dao Immortal's transformation art and Cheongsu Jin-in's transformation art were the same.

As he had said, perhaps because his upper Dantian had opened, he might have noticed it more keenly.

‘And more than anything, the scene of him dealing with Nahi was by no means something a training immortal would do.’

A scene that could be seen as harassing a young lady.

There were too many unnecessary elements to be seen as a scene of training.

And the fact that had been strangely bothering him, the Great Kunlun.

Although it was the sacred ground and root of Daoism, and had a strong abstract and symbolic meaning, it was not a place that did not exist.

However, the conditions for entering that place were very strict, and they did not accept just anyone.

The threshold was so high that some people treated entering the Great Kunlun itself as ascending to immortality.

But he had heard that communication with that Great Kunlun had been cut off 100 years ago.

As the Four Guardian Gods disappeared.

If so, the existence of the Heavenly Dao Immortal, who was said to have come from the Great Kunlun, was a contradiction in itself.

At first, he had thought he was an immortal who had come out about 100 years ago, but the time of his activity and the time he was said to have ascended strangely coincided with various incidents.

‘The time the treasure map of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was leaked, and the time Cheongheo Jin-in fell into Qi deviation. Besides that, the time Mungchi and Nahi learned the transformation art also overlaps similarly. There's no way all of this is a coincidence.’

The concept of time for immortals is extremely long.

Unlike humans, since they had obtained a time similar to eternal life, the time they perceived was different.

If coincidences overlap, it's inevitable.

It was reasonable to see this as the work of a person, not an immortal.

It was the work of Cheongsu Jin-in, who was right in front of him.

"Namgung Daoist friend is very smart. I almost got a scolding for underestimating you because you're young."

"Almost? You'll be in a lot of trouble already, won't you?"

"Hahaha! You. Is it because you're still young? You have great confidence. I don't know how much help the sect leader next to you will be, but do you think you can handle me now?"

As Cheongsu Jin-in formed a hand seal.

Suddenly, as if a barrier had been spread in all directions, the atmosphere turned cold, and the flowing air stopped.

And Cheongsu Jin-in's two eyes were dyed black.

"And me, who has learned the invincible divine art?"

An indescribable, immense energy poured out from Cheongsu Jin-in's body.

This was a terrible energy that was by no means unfamiliar to Namgung Hui.

Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

The legendary divine art had been resurrected in the hands of a Daoist after 60 years.

(End of Chapter)