Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 410

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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 410
The day after the dinner gathering ended.
“Good… morning….”
“Bleeech!”
“No, why do you—— urgh!”
“Ugh! Even hangovers must be endured….”
The managers gathered at the Cheonma Sect headquarters that morning were sprawled about with vacant eyes.
Their complexions half-drained of color, they ground their teeth.
“That damned snake liquor. I can’t believe there was still some left.”
“Well, we’ve finished it all now… so we shouldn’t see it again.”
“Really, you think so?”
….
“Ugh, is there… anything else to drink, anything at all…?”
Dokgo Ak kept retching, complaining of his thirst.
Just then, someone approached and began tending to the sprawled managers.
“Everyone, gather yourselves and have some of this. I’ve prepared a fruit honey tea.”
“Is that… Manager Geum?”
“Manager Ak, if you drink some of this, you’ll feel much better.”
“Oh! Our Manager Geum’s special fruit tea! It’s been forever!”
Geum Seok-du’s tea, flavored with honey and fruit, was a delicacy known only to those in the know.
The managers brightened and gulped down the tea straight from the bottle.
“Ahhhh! Now I feel alive again.”
“See, we really do need Manager Geum around.”
“You’re too kind.”
The managers had regained some composure, but soon they all stared blankly into empty space, lost in thought. A common sight the day after drinking.
As this peaceful atmosphere settled for a moment, Dokgo Ak spoke up.
“I didn’t show it yesterday, did I?”
Namgung Sohwa let out a small laugh.
“You didn’t, so don’t worry. I’m more concerned whether I showed it.”
The managers fell silent for a moment.
Dokgo Ak spoke with a bitter smile.
“To be honest, I was quite shocked yesterday.”
Who wouldn’t be.
No one could have dared to guess at the lives of Dokgo Hyeon and Dokgo Myeong.
If they hadn’t agreed beforehand not to show any reaction to whatever they heard, the atmosphere would have become quite serious.
“Deep down, I always thought… that the Captain must be fundamentally different from ordinary people.”
“Everyone would think that. It would certainly be difficult, but I figured since he was always exceptional, he’d be fine.”
Even Ye-hwa and Cheolmu-baek, who always seemed composed in any situation, had their voices slightly strained.
Dokgo Ak stared blankly at the ground before speaking.
“When you think about it, it’s unbelievable. At that age, to possess such vision and martial skill… he must have suffered terribly… and I….”
I occasionally felt an inexplicable sense of dissonance. It stemmed from the thought that my current life might not have been the destiny I was originally meant to face.
But it turned out that wasn’t merely imagination.
Tap.
At that moment, Ye-hwa gently brushed away the dust from Dokgo Ak’s rigid shoulders.
Was she trying to comfort him?
The instant Dokgo Ak’s eyes met hers.
“You’ve really grown so much, Manager Ak.”
“What, what?”
“To think a person could mature so well. That’s impressive.”
“…?”
In that moment, Dokgo Ak’s face contorted grotesquely.
“This younger person is making fun of me!”
“I wasn’t making fun—I was complimenting you.”
“That’s a compliment?!”
“You looked rather cool just now.”
At those words, Dokgo Ak’s cheeks flushed crimson.
“Really? Truly?”
“You’re quite simple, aren’t you.”
“…!”
Dokgo Ak’s face, struck by that blow, burned even redder than before. Simultaneously, stifled laughter rippled through the air from various directions.
Geum Seok-du opened his mouth.
“However, in truth, nothing has fundamentally changed.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“All we can do, and all we can offer, is ultimately to grow stronger.”
Geum Seok-du’s words appropriately refreshed the atmosphere.
“That’s not wrong.”
“Indeed, a true statement. Our role is to make the Cheonma Sect even more formidable and lighten the Captain’s burden.”
The eyes of the five managers of the Cheonma Sect gleamed.
“Since we’re on the subject, we should resume training starting today.”
“Since we’ve come after so long, I’ll take charge of the disciples’ lightness martial arts training.”
“Then I’ll throw in some secret techniques in between.”
“And we’ll add sparring matches on top of that.”
“Let’s begin hellish training.”
The passion of the five managers and five dragon generals of the Cheonma Sect began to blaze fiercely.
For the Cheonma Sect disciples still sprawled about nursing their hangovers, it was truly unfortunate.
* * *
Whoooooosh!
Centered on Dokgo Myeong, the light of the Heavenly Exterior Spirit Formation was unraveling completely.
Wrapped in countless threads of light, the sight was almost mystical.
“Haah….”
A long, deep breath was exhaled.
As I closed my eyes and sank into a state of selflessness, paradoxically, my eyes opened.
More precisely, it would be more accurate to say I became aware rather than truly opened my eyes.
I faced Dokgo Myeong.
Simultaneously, the moment I thought of him as Dokgo Hyeon, he became Dokgo Hyeon as well.
Different forms tangled and intertwined before settling into the current Dokgo Myeong.
‘That’s right. Just as the managers of old differ from now, I too am simply who I am in this moment.’
My heart grew calm.
The sensation of observing my own form from a step away was truly peculiar.
“Huu, huu…”
The breathing continued.
Even in a state of selflessness, I felt the air being pushed out and drawn back in with each breath.
It was the communion of inner and outer qi.
Outer qi entered my body through the meridians, passed through the blood vessels, and was ensnared by the rotation of the Heavenly Elixir Field, becoming a single mass placed under my control.
Dokgo Myeong suddenly felt a doubt.
‘I’ve reached a realm where the distinction between inner qi and outer qi blurs… so why do I still experience a shortage of inner power?’
Conversely, those who hadn’t even created an elixir field wielded far greater strength and sustained it far longer.
Outside the clan, there were people like Baek Mu-heun, Muyong Tae, Ji-myeol, and Bloodfiend. Within the clan, there were Dokgo Un-hak and Dokgo Wi-hak.
How could they possibly manage such a thing?
Was it simply because they possessed more inner power than me?
‘I’ve consumed so many spirit pills that I’ve lost count… and how many people have swallowed an elixir field from a flood dragon?’
Then was it because their inner power cultivation was more refined? Could they distribute their inner power more efficiently?
Of course that played a role, but I had a premonition it wasn’t merely that.
‘Come to think of it, I too have experienced inexhaustible inner power.’
It was the day when the Primordial Heavenly Art first awakened and ran wild of its own accord.
Regardless of my will, a tremendous natural qi had surged in, and I was able to wield it freely.
Then enlightenment arrived.
Fill as much as you expend. One need only conduct depletion and absorption and accumulation of inner power simultaneously.
And if accumulation exceeds expenditure, then the depletion of inner power becomes as though it doesn’t exist at all.
‘The Northern Ming Divine Art. Yes, Muyong Tae’s Northern Ming Divine Art made that possible too. The only difference was that his method involved absorbing the true qi of his opponent through qi-draining techniques.’
This was it.
The reason why the inner power of those who reached such heights felt infinite wasn’t simply because they possessed that much inner power, but because no matter how much they drew upon it, they could always replenish it.
Flash!
Dokgo Myeong opened his eyes.
The Heavenly Elixir Field was being released according to the principles of the Primordial Heavenly Art.
Simultaneously.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
With a deep inhalation, I felt the surrounding outer qi enter through the meridians and ensnare the Heavenly Elixir Field.
“It works. The accumulation is still minimal, but… it’s definitely happening.”
Crack!
Dokgo Myeong clenched his fist with a bright expression.
Still insufficient, but if the amount he could continuously accumulate increased, he might truly gain inner power comparable to theirs without any demonic interference.
‘No, it’s even better than that. They don’t have a Spirit Core.’
From the start, the size of the vessel differed, so naturally the amount that could fill it varied as well. It might be possible not just to catch up, but to surpass them entirely.
“Can I really overcome this so easily? It’s absurd.”
I suddenly realized how incomplete my previous life’s cultivation had been.
Now it was different. I was walking an entirely new path.
“Still, I need to grow stronger.”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed.
“Whatever that bastard is preparing… this time I’ll definitely cast him into the depths of hell.”
I would create a new ending, not the hollow conclusion that Dokgo Hyeon experienced.
And after that, after that…
“Only then…”
Just as Dokgo Myeong’s eyes shone brightly and I was about to renew my resolve.
“Captaiiiiiin!”
“Captain! Where are you!”
“Yeon-tong has arrived, Yeon-tong! Where are you!”
The voices of the managers echoed from afar.
Dokgo Myeong turned his head with a reluctant expression.
“Ah, these bastards! Here I am, the Commander, lost in solemn contemplation, and they’re breaking my concentration.”
Even as I grumbled, the corners of my mouth were curling upward.
“Truly, nothing runs properly without me!”
Dokgo Myeong sprang to his feet and headed out of the training grounds.
“What now! What’s happened!”
“What? Captain, were you training? No, you’re always training at the Cheonma Sect, so why are you loitering around Sa Heon-gak today!”
“Wow, I thought you’d gone somewhere strange!”
The managers poured out their words in succession.
Dokgo Myeong narrowed his eyes.
“Ah, you never let me rest for a moment! What is it now! Yeon-tong?”
Namgung Sohwa cried out urgently.
“It’s the White Lotus Iron Method! Master Heo Yong-do has sent a messenger!”
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes widened.
“Hurry! Let’s go!”
* * *
“I’ve arrived!”
Ssssshhh!
In an instant, the heated metal touched the dark liquid, and white steam and flames erupted.
Heo Yong-do, sitting before the furnace, merely glanced sideways and chuckled.
“Kekeke! You sluggish fellow! You certainly came fast!”
“I came right after receiving the messenger?”
“When an adult speaks, you simply say yes!”
“But what….”
“If you’re going to talk back, then turn around and leave.”
Dokgo Myeong pouted his lips with a sullen expression.
Heo Yong-do stood up, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead, and grinned widely.
“So, how was that bastard?”
Heo Yong-do’s gaze fell upon the Hyeonchel Sword split in half at Dokgo Myeong’s waist.
Dokgo Myeong grinned as well, tapping the Hyeonchel Sword that had been divided in two.
“What can I say? It was magnificent.”
“Really? Truly?”
“You can’t even imagine how many renowned blades I’ve shattered with this, or how many I’ve sent to the afterlife. Those bastards will tremble when they see this weapon even in the underworld.”
“Khekhekhe! Really? Is that truly what happened?”
“Not long ago, something like this happened with the Hwangsan Sect too….”
“Khahaha! Serves them right! Those arrogant bastards!”
Heo Yong-do remained eccentric, but he was equally sincere about his creations. Upon hearing honest praise for the Hyeonchel Heavy Sword, he became genuinely delighted like an innocent child.
“From now on, keep cracking open the skulls of masters with that thing! Until its notorious reputation echoes across mountains and rivers!”
“Ah, that’s a bit….”
He really is innocent, isn’t he? At times like this, he seems like an ordinary villain of Sima Waidao’s ilk.
“But you certainly handled it roughly. Normally there wouldn’t even be scratches…. Let me examine it properly later.”
“The center of gravity hasn’t shifted or anything, so it’s fine.”
“Of course it hasn’t.”
Heo Yong-do’s eyes deepened as he stroked his beard.
“So even the Hyeonchel Heavy Sword alone cannot handle this one….”
“Pardon? What did you say?”
“Never mind. An eccentric needs an eccentric weapon. In any case, you’re a troublesome one.”
“Me? Ha! Are you calling me eccentric right now?”
“Quiet.”
Heo Yong-do turned his head sharply as if he’d seen all there was to see.
“By the way, why haven’t you lot greeted me?”
“S-sorry. We greet you, Master Heo!”
“We greet you, Master!”
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
The managers who had been standing awkwardly in the back hurriedly bowed in greeting.
Cheolmu Baekman, meeting him for the first time, nodded with a slightly uncomfortable expression.
“These bastards have suddenly become monsters and come to visit? Are these the same ones who came a few years ago?”
“Y-yes?”
Heo Yong-do turned his head sharply.
“You brat! You want me to make all of theirs too? You’re determined to work me to death!”
Dokgo Myeong chuckled as he watched Heo Yong-do scold him.
“Lower your mouth corners before you speak, sir.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Those bastards will eat whatever you serve them without complaint. They won’t grumble about a thing.”
“…Is that so?”
Heo Yong-do’s eyes gleamed with interest.
He examined Cheolmu-baek from head to toe, even licking his lips as if savoring the thought.
Dokgo Myeong asked.
“Will it be possible?”
“What do you take me for? Anyway, before that—”
Heo Yong-do’s gaze turned back to Dokgo Myeong.
“Come with me for a moment, alone.”
“What for, sir?”
“I have a prototype I want to show you.”

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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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