Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 138
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 138
Dokgo Ak, Geum Seok-du, Namgung Sohwa, Cheolmu-baek.
Four people, battered just as severely as Dokgo Myeong, surrounded him from all sides.
Crash! Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
“This madman.”
“Gasp!”
All four gasped in shock.
Namgung Sohwa’s blade, which had collided with Dokgo Myeong’s fist, crumbled like tofu.
“Mu-baek!”
Namgung Sohwa leaped into the air and cried out.
Perhaps because they had crossed the threshold of death together, she who always maintained her composure called him by his name alone.
“Understood.”
Cheolmu-baek’s eyes gleamed as he seized Dokgo Myeong by the collar and slammed him directly into the ground.
Boom!
Dokgo Myeong rose to his feet without hesitation and attempted to move again.
Cheolmu-baek drove his hand into Dokgo Myeong’s armpit to restrain him.
Crack crack crack!
“…!”
Dokgo Myeong tore free with sheer arm strength alone.
Just before he broke completely loose, Dokgo Ak rushed in and threw a punch.
“You bastard!”
Dokgo Ak’s fist snapped Dokgo Myeong’s jaw to the side.
Crack!
Dokgo Myeong’s body staggered.
This happened despite the punch lacking significant force, and there was no counterattack.
“Huh? What?”
Dokgo Ak’s eyes widened at the sight.
“The chin! The chin!”
“What are you saying?”
“The chin! The chin is effective!”
“…What?”
That was when it happened.
“All three of you, move aside!”
Geum Seok-du, displaying his lightness technique like a galloping horse, rushed forward and hurled something.
Whoosh!
It was the net the assassins used.
Geum Seok-du shouted.
“Now!”
“Well done, Seok-du!”
Dokgo Ak charged at Dokgo Myeong with bloodshot eyes.
“Your mouth! Your mouth! Your mouth, you bastard brother! Your mouth!”
Thwack! Thwack! Crack!
Dokgo Ak relentlessly targeted Dokgo Myeong’s mouth, swinging his fists with precision.
Dokgo Myeong began to stagger.
“What, what are you doing?!”
Namgung Sohwa cried out in alarm, trying to stop Dokgo Ak.
Dokgo Ak shook off Namgung Sohwa and shouted.
“My brother hasn’t attacked us since earlier! It seems like he’s trying to regain his senses, so beating him more should be effective!”
At Dokgo Ak’s cry, the eyes of Cheolmu-baek and Namgung Sohwa gleamed with hope.
Soon both of them began swinging their fists as well.
“Please! Come to your senses! Your senses! Your senses! Wake up!”
“You said you’d take me to a fight. Keep your promise. Your promise.”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dokgo Myeong’s body shook repeatedly.
And in that moment.
“That….”
Dokgo Myeong’s mouth opened, and a strange moan escaped.
“It’s working!”
“Hit him more! Just kill him outright!”
“Revenge for all this time!”
Thwack! Thwack! Crack!
“…stop, stop….”
Thwack! Thwack!
Dokgo Ak grabbed Dokgo Myeong by the collar and swung his fists relentlessly.
“That, that….”
“You younger brother! You bastard younger brother! Just because you’re the older brother, is that everything? Would it hurt to speak more politely?! You bastard younger brother!”
“That….”
Just as Dokgo Ak knocked Dokgo Myeong to the ground and continued to strike his mouth persistently.
“…stop, you bastard!”
Whoooosh!
Dokgo Myeong kicked Dokgo Ak away.
Everyone’s gaze turned skyward.
‘Wow.’
‘He’s flying again.’
Dokgo Ak soared through the sky in a long arc.
Thud! Twitch!
Dokgo Ak, who crashed face-first to the ground, twitched a few times before going limp.
Dokgo Myeong, who had been lying tangled in the net, slowly rose to his feet.
Everyone’s gaze turned toward him.
Flash!
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed with a chilling blue light.
‘Did he actually come to his senses?’
‘His eyes still look rolled back though?’
‘Well, his eyes were always a bit like that….’
Dokgo Myeong’s mouth slowly opened.
“You bastards… having so much fun… saying you’ve come to your senses….”
“B, brother, just a moment.”
“It’s a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding? A misunderstandiiiiing?”
A sinister aura erupted from Dokgo Myeong’s entire body.
The two of them flinched and trembled.
Then, Geum Seok-du, who had somehow positioned himself behind Dokgo Myeong, opened his mouth.
“Young master. This loyal servant has done nothing wrong.”
“…!”
Namgung Sohwa, Cheolmu-baek, and even Dokgo Ak, who had regained his senses while stumbling backward, glared at Geum Seok-du with wide eyes.
Dokgo Myeong exhaled sharply through his nose and spoke.
“Fine. You step aside. Unless you want to die.”
“Yes.”
“Huuuuh….”
Dokgo Myeong exhaled a long breath, his eyes flashing.
Ssshhh.
Misty vapor drifted from Dokgo Myeong’s slightly parted lips.
Everyone swallowed hard.
‘He still doesn’t seem to be in his right mind?’
‘That man was never quite in his right mind to begin with.’
‘If trouble arises, we’ll need to subdue him again.’
As the three of them watched Dokgo Myeong tensely.
Dokgo Myeong’s mouth opened.
“Why did you stop me? That bastard deserved to die.”
The three of them’s expressions darkened.
“He still hasn’t come back to himself?”
“Please! What on earth is wrong with you!”
“Come to your senses.”
Dokgo Myeong shook his head.
“I’m perfectly in my right mind. So answer me first.”
Dokgo Ak burst out shouting.
“Right mind my ass! Hey, brother! Didn’t you say you needed that old geezer! That he was the most important for achieving our goal, so we had to capture him alive!”
Namgung Sohwa spoke in a far more composed voice than Dokgo Ak.
“His limbs and meridians are already destroyed and his qi is twisted beyond recovery. He can’t resist anymore. It’s over. So please stop.”
“Your enemy is me, Sohwa.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. We went through all this trouble to capture them alive, and you want to kill them? I’m holding back too, you know? Sohwa isn’t that kind of person!”
“….”
In the end, it all came down to him.
Dokgo Myeong sighed.
“These fools are suffering because I said I needed them. Ha.”
A hollow laugh escaped his lips.
Right, if that’s how you all feel, I can’t let you witness anything worse.
Dokgo Myeong forcibly suppressed the alien vital energy surging up through his head, as if swallowing vomit.
And he opened his mouth with great difficulty.
“Everyone.”
The three of them flinched.
“I know it’s hard, but I need you to come help.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
“The momentum of the Lip Horse is too strong. Help me.”
Thump!
Dokgo Myeong sat down in a cross-legged position, his face drained of color.
“…!”
The three of them rushed to press themselves against Dokgo Myeong.
* * *
My consciousness returned for a moment, but my vision began to blur again.
‘Damn it, Dokgo Myeong you bastard. This pathetic mess—what is this? This isn’t my way.’
Dokgo Myeong entered cultivation.
I felt the three of them pressing against me.
Dokgo Ak, whose inner strength was greatest, placed his hand on the Gate of Life, while Namgung Sohwa and Cheolmu-baek positioned their palms on my hand centers.
Dokgo Myeong barely parted his lips.
“All three of you have mastered orthodox martial arts, so your inner forces can collide to some degree without issue. Even if they collide, I’ll control it. My vital energy can absorb most of what you give. So just force it in.”
Dokgo Myeong closed his eyes tightly after those words.
“Hiss, exhale. Hiss, exhale…. Let’s go.”
After forcing my breathing to deepen, I concentrated my mind.
Roooaaarrr….
That sound wasn’t something my ears actually heard.
But if this torrential, unidentifiable vital energy made a sound, it would sound like this.
‘Damn. What is this.’
The energy was flowing backward.
Normally, inner strength begins at the lower dantian and must travel through designated meridians, passing through the middle dantian and upper dantian.
But now, inside Dokgo Myeong’s body, a phenomenon contrary to that principle was occurring.
Roooaaarrr!
The enlarged upper dantian forcibly controlled the meridians throughout the entire body.
And that wasn’t even the end. It was frantically absorbing external energy and forcing it back down into the lower dantian.
All the while, Dokgo Myeong himself remained unaware of what was happening within his own body.
‘It felt like a dam bursting, but was this actually me ramming against the dam itself?’
How could such a thing be possible?
It violated the fundamentals of energy cultivation and the basic principles of internal power manipulation.
It felt as though something possessing spiritual essence coexisted within my body.
‘Could this possibly be….’
In that instant, a suspicion flashed through my mind, and I felt a pang of regret.
‘If I could completely convert this into my own martial power, I might be able to break through several more levels at this stage….’
Dokgo Myeong suddenly snapped back to his senses with a start.
‘Damn it, seriously. Please, get your head straight. Are you really going to make a fool of yourself again?’
Let it go.
Release it.
Why should I regret power that wasn’t built by my own hands?
That was when it happened.
Whoosh!
Three streams of energy surged into Dokgo Myeong’s body.
Blaze!
Pure and majestic energy that seemed incongruous—this was Dokgo Ak’s.
Rumble!
Heavy yet refreshing energy—this was Namgung Sohwa’s.
Whistle!
Deep and unrestrained energy—this was Cheolmu-baek’s.
Their energies pushed against Dokgo Myeong’s back, which had no reserves left.
Dokgo Myeong rapidly guided the true qi of all three.
It was a perilous tug-of-war where all four could die if one mistake was made. If any one of the three refused to cooperate and their energies became entangled, Dokgo Myeong would have to go meet the King of Hell right there on the spot.
‘I can’t even tell if I’m trying to survive or committing suicide.’
Yet Dokgo Myeong trusted the three of them.
Fortunately, the three of them also trusted him.
‘This is it. I’ll correct the flow from here.’
This was the critical moment.
The instant Dokgo Myeong focused his mind.
-Too soon.
Suddenly, a strange form materialized before my eyes, and a voice echoed in my ears.
Could this be another demonic possession? Had I failed?
My eyes are closed, so why can I see something?
Then the vision began to take on a clearer form.
A figure gradually revealed itself, and someone within the vision spoke.
-Do not try to understand. Those who seek understanding will not achieve enlightenment.
-When the time comes, you too will come to know all things. Wait for that time.
It was a familiar voice.
Dokgo Myeong trembled with a start.
‘Master?’
Why are you appearing here?
* * *
-Remember this. Cheonoe Gyeong is undoubtedly a divine technique without equal in the world, but from its very creation, too many karmic debts have been entangled within it. One day, that karma may come crashing down upon you.
-Karma, you say? Does that mean there are certain grudges and debts intertwined, or is there a flaw in the martial art itself?
-It could be both.
-You teach me everything and now speak such words?
-It was you who said you wanted to grow stronger, who said you wanted to live.
-Surely there were many other martial arts you knew besides Cheonoe Gyeong.
-I told you not to call me Master.
-Well, regardless.
-At first… I had no intention of teaching you anything. That is why I taught you Cheonoe Gyeong.
-What do you mean by that?
-The opposite. Because you awakened your sensory nodes, I had no choice but to teach you Cheonoe Gyeong. Perhaps… it was always meant to be passed down to you from the beginning.
-You speak only in riddles and clouds.
-You will understand in time.
-When in time?
-Promise me one thing.
-Yes?
-Martial arts are merely martial arts. Do not let martial arts wield you; you must wield martial arts. When power comes crashing in like waves one day, you must focus on nothing but yourself.
That was my last conversation with my master, a memory I had forgotten.
But where had I heard this conversation?
Why had I forgotten it?
Or… was I made to forget?
My master’s voice echoed through my mind like an incantation.
-If you desire it, take it. If you need it, discard it. Do not look up to heaven; place all things beneath your feet, overturn heaven itself, and become a being beyond heaven.
Dokgo Myeong regained his senses.
My master’s final words came to mind.
-The principles of heaven are useless. That is the true meaning of Cheonoe Gyeong.
Boom!
Four strands of true energy began to coil around my dantian.
I changed my approach.
Rather than struggling to correct the reversed flow, I sought to place it beneath my will.
And with that resolve, I spoke as if chanting a spell.
‘Enter.’
Rumble!
‘Enter.’
Boom! Rumble! Rrrumble!
An unidentifiable black energy thrashed in resistance.
‘Yes, that’s good.’
Martial arts were simply martial arts.
I was told not to be wielded by them, but to wield them instead.
As always, I would go my own way.
‘Don’t want to enter? Then don’t. But in that case, you’ll have no choice but to obey my commands.’
Dokgo Myeong released his own vital energy and that of his companions.
Kwaaaaaaa!
The energy erupted outward like a raging river in flood.
“Gasp!”
“Ugh!”
“Argh!”
Boom!
In that instant, the three people with their hands on Dokgo Myeong’s body were hurled backward as if repelled.
-It is not yet time.
The vital energy created through reverse cultivation seemed to speak with a spiritual consciousness.
Whoosh!
The reversed vital energy began to flow forward naturally on its own.
And in that moment, Dokgo Myeong’s mouth fell open wide.
“Cough! Retch!”
A viscous liquid poured out in torrents.
It was not blood. It was a murky, ink-black liquid that gushed forth—dark beyond measure.
Internal injuries from the wounds and turbid energies that had been roiling within.
The transformation had only just begun.
Crack! Crackcrackcrack!
Joints twisted into place, broken bones realigned, and torn and mangled muscles began to knit back together.
Everyone gasped in shock.
“What… what is that…?”
“He’s recovering!”
As if time itself had been reversed, fresh flesh was sprouting across Dokgo Myeong’s battered body.
Then Cheolmu-baek shook his head.
“No, it’s not recovery.”
“…Could it be?”
Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis.
Dokgo Myeong was shedding his long-worn shell, releasing his old flesh.
It was a complete metamorphosis of bone and flesh.
His body was transforming to align with Dokgo Myeong’s martial arts.
Shimmershimmershimmer!
Suddenly Dokgo Myeong’s entire body became enveloped in a shimmering mist of light.
That mist was entirely vital energy.
If one were to drape the Milky Way across one’s body like a garment, perhaps it would look like this.
A subtle radiance—silver and gold intertwined—enveloped Dokgo Myeong’s entire body without a single gap.
Dokgo Myeong let out a hollow laugh.
‘It has come.’
When I truly faced death, it never arrived. Yet now, amidst all this chaos, it finds me.
‘Seongcheon Gong.’
The fourth secret realm of Cheonwae Gyeong.
I gathered the densely woven starlight that adorned the heavens and wrapped it around my entire body.
Seongcheon qi filled my depleted dantian, and the martial teachings of Budong Gyeol permeated every fiber of my being.
The impenetrable defense technique, Eunhan Byeok.
The immovable divine method, Bulnao Jeonglib.
Thus it was completed.
Crash!
Dokgo Myeong felt as though walls were crumbling around him.
At last, spirit, body, and qi converged as one.
The perfection of the martial way.
The realm of ascension.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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