Martial God of the Sun and Moon - Chapter 447

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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 447
I remember that day with perfect clarity.
No matter how much time passed or what trials I endured, I could never forget it.
“Leave now.”
That day.
The very day I mastered all the secrets of the Heavenly Outer Scripture and awakened my sensory meridian to achieve initiation.
Though it had been but a brief span of years, I believed I had grown fond of her, yet my Master commanded my descent from the mountain in a voice utterly devoid of warmth.
“Master.”
“I have said it before—I am not your Master.”
“Will you truly be so cold? After all the affection we have shared, how can you dismiss me so heartlessly?”
“You still speak far too much.”
“A person must live with some cheer and levity. Why must you always be so grave?”
“Those whose inner nature runs deepest in shadow….”
My Master, who had shown only her back while sitting in lotus position, turned her head.
“Learn to illuminate the surface with brilliance.”
The moment I met those impossibly beautiful eyes, my breath seemed to stop.
They were far too profound to belong to any human. They held the depth of a starless night sky and the vertiginous abyss of the deep.
“Then at least… tell me your name.”
“….”
“If you do not wish me to call you Master or Teacher, I shall not. If you wish to remain unknown to the world, so be it.”
“….”
“But you saved my life and transmitted your martial arts to me. Whether you wish it or not, I have become your successor. Grant me at least three characters of a name to keep. Even a false name will suffice.”
After a long silence, my Master spoke.
“How absurd.”
“…!”
“My successor… you are not my successor.”
She gazed up at the heavens as she spoke.
“It was a bond woven by the whims of fate. You may think of yourself as merely a fleeting dream within my slumber. I, too, shall regard this as but a brief transgression.”
“What do you mean….”
“It is better that you do not know.”
I had believed I had grown fond of her, knowingly or not. I thought I had come to understand her somewhat.
How foolish that delusion was.
Perhaps to a being who had reached the realm of the demigod, human desires and emotions were meaningless.
“Seek only to survive within that chaos where countless destinies are entangled. Even that will be overwhelming. You will struggle yet be swept away regardless, and even if you escape, nothing will remain.”
It was always so.
My Master’s eyes seemed to gaze upon a distant future I could not yet see.
“Should you ever work the miracle of breaking free from your constraints… then we may meet again.”
“What? You mean I might see you again?”
“Then it shall come to pass, whether you wish it or not.”
When I awoke the next morning in that thatched cottage, my Master was gone.
After returning to the Cheonma Sect, I had retraced my memories countless times, yet I could not locate that thatched cottage.
And now, in this place, I had reunited with my Sect Leader.
* * *
“Sect Leader.”
Dokgo Myeong called out to her.
Tap, tap, tap.
The Sect Leader walked slowly with her hands clasped behind her back, surveying the surroundings.
Perhaps she deemed Dokgo Myeong’s call unworthy of attention. Or perhaps something else had captured her interest.
“At last, I see it.”
Soon, the Sect Leader spoke. Her face and expression were no different from what Dokgo Myeong remembered.
“But it remains incomplete.”
“…?”
“Several years have passed since Hyeon-cheon opened and the celestial energy touched you, and already you have come this far. Yes, if it were complete, that would be far stranger.”
The Sect Leader slowly approached and stood before Dokgo Myeong.
“So it was you. You knocked upon the door. Though you merely knocked without opening it, you read the Heavenly Principle and arrived here.”
The Sect Leader was tall enough that her eyes were nearly level with Dokgo Myeong’s. His reflection shone clearly in her pupils, as if being drawn into their depths.
Thud!
For a moment, I thought I was plunged into utter darkness.
I already knew it, but this was a technique that transcended the bounds of humanity. An indescribable pressure—one that made the word “strength” seem meaningless—constricted my entire body.
‘She may be equal to the Sect Leader.’
My eyes trembled.
‘No, she is equal.’
A master of the Highest Heaven. That same transcendence I had often felt when facing the Sect Leader emanated from her as well.
I straightened my spine and asked.
“Would you explain again? What is this door, and what is the Heavenly Principle?”
“….”
“What is this place? Has that one’s ‘time’ finally come? Or am I merely dreaming after falling into demonic obsession during cultivation, or seeing illusions trapped in sorcery?”
In that instant, the Sect Leader’s eyes, which had seemed bored and indifferent, fixed upon Dokgo Myeong’s pupils.
Sway!
Dokgo Myeong felt a sudden vertigo and barely managed to steady himself.
The Sect Leader murmured with interest.
“Amusing. You resist.”
“Cough.”
“Uncertain. Whether it is because you are incomplete from the start, or for some other reason.”
The Sect Leader had attempted something. I suppressed the churning sensation in my stomach and spoke.
“Whatever you are doing, I will not yield so easily.”
My eyes flashed with defiance.
Despite the provocative words, the Sect Leader’s bland expression remained unchanged.
“You asked where this place is? You entered without even knowing where you were?”
“What?”
“It was not I who opened this door, but you. Why do you ask it of me?”
“You say you entered arbitrarily. Is that your claim?”
“This place is neither sorcery, nor the unconscious, nor a dream. A door has temporarily opened, energies of the same nature commune through spiritual channels, and shared mental imagery has taken form.”
“…?”
The Sect Leader turned her gaze back to the thatched cottage. For the first time, warmth appeared in her eyes.
“Humble though it may be, it is a place of comfort. This is indeed a place I could manifest from my own mental imagery.”
She looked at Dokgo Myeong again.
“But since I came to dwell here, only one other person besides myself has ever beheld this place with their own eyes—and that person is not you.”
“…!”
“Who are you to call me Sect Leader?”
I had been mistaken.
Whether from the haze of consciousness or the confusion of reality and past bleeding together, I had naturally assumed she was the Sect Leader I knew.
‘Learning the Heavenly Outer Scripture from the Sect Leader was not an event of this world.’
It was only natural.
The Sect Leader before me could not possibly know me.
Dokgo Myeong swallowed dryly and bowed respectfully.
“I have been discourteous. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Myeong of the Dokgo Family.”
The Sect Leader nodded.
“I know.”
“The reason I called you Sect Leader is because you taught me the Heavenly Outer Scripture.”
A flicker of interest crossed the Sect Leader’s eyes. In the next moment, she revealed surprise for the first time.
“This is not your first life.”
“…!!”
“There is no other explanation for it.”
The Sect Leader stepped closer.
At a distance where breath could be felt, she gazed at Dokgo Myeong intently.
It was then.
Sssssss.
Something shifted in the windless space. The black mist that had been pushed back began to billow forth more thickly.
“What is this?”
“Time has run out.”
We had barely exchanged a few words, and already it was ending?
Dokgo Myeong asked.
“Then if I attempt this again, will I be able to meet you like this once more?”
“You will be dead by then.”
“…!”
“You should be feeling it already.”
In the moment Dokgo Myeong furrowed his brow at the weight of those indifferent words.
“Cough!”
A cough erupted, and black mist like ink sprayed forth. The surrounding haze had already grown far more dense.
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes gleamed with intensity.
“I am dying right now.”
The Sect Leader narrowed his eyes with intrigue, studying me before nodding slowly.
“A natural price for achieving what was not permitted, even if only temporarily.”
In that moment, the Sect Leader’s gaze locked directly with mine.
“Dokgo Myeong. Control it.”
“I am trying.”
“Right now you merely flail about, gripping the reins with all your strength.”
“…?”
The Sect Leader’s eyes blazed with light.
“Sensation Resonance. It is a discipline that exists to fully perceive and command everything in this world. If you truly wish it, you will be capable of reading the path.”
“But if I rely on intuition and make a mistake, won’t everything become meaningless?”
“Is that truly a problem?”
In that instant, I felt as though ice water had been poured over my head.
“The Heavenly Path, the Celestial Way, the Divine Principle…. Everything that exists in this world has reason and law. No matter how absurd something may seem, if it exists, then a current to command it can be created.”
“A current…?”
“You will soon forget this meeting.”
The Sect Leader’s words echoed on, lingering like a resonance.
“But when everything has become distorted, it simultaneously means all possibilities have opened. At the proper time, I will come to you. It will not take long.”
The Sect Leader’s form was swallowed by black mist.
Dokgo Myeong’s eyes snapped wide open.
* * *
“Cough!”
Blood poured from my mouth in torrents.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ashen energy tore through my entire body.
‘Reverse Heavenly Force, Reverse Heavenly Force… can this truly be called inner energy?’
It was nothing but raw, merciless power running wild.
Control, he said.
Easy to speak of, but could a person actually accomplish this?
‘So be it. All or nothing.’
Come what may, my eyes blazed with determination.
‘If Reverse Heavenly Force is a form of natural energy, then there must be a way to command it.’
If the phenomenon was triggered by true energy flowing backward, then its operation should also be reversed.
I had no certainty this was correct.
This was akin to forcing blood to flow backward. Neither the Black Blade heretics nor the Twin Horse Alliance’s blood techniques operated this way. Or rather, they could not.
Yet intuition insisted this was right.
‘I go.’
I threw all my consciousness into that massive, surging torrent.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
It stirred to life.
No—I rode upon that movement.
Rather than twisting it to my will, I simply opened a path for it to flow naturally and let it be.
Soon a fierce torrent of energy began erupting outward.
Boom! Boom! Crash-crash-crash-crash!
A deafening roar echoed—impossible to tell whether it came from within my body or without.
Immediately after, it felt as though all the blood drained from my body, and the raging energy dispersed outward like mist.
-Still insufficient.
There were times I felt this arrogant bastard was speaking to me. It seemed to be doing so now.
‘This is truly infuriating.’
Not all the energy had escaped. A portion of the Reverse Heaven Qi surged through my meridians under my control.
Whooooom!
Thus the Small Heavenly Circulation.
The Reverse Heaven Qi was but a pittance compared to the Heavenly Soul Orb—a mere thread—yet this represented the limit of what I could currently command.
If I had to describe it, I had achieved one complete cycle. At least I had grasped the sensation.
Whoosh!
And then the Reverse Heaven Qi was sucked inward, settling neatly within the Heavenly Soul Orb.
Flash!
Dokgo Myeong finally opened his eyes.
“Haaaaah!”
He drew in a breath like a man surfacing from deep underwater.
“Captain!”
* * *
“Cough! Hack!”
“Captain! Captain! Open your eyes! Captain!”
Upon opening them, Namgung Sohwa’s worried face filled my vision.
Dokgo Myeong convulsed, spitting blood repeatedly.
“If you’re alright, say something—! Come to your senses! Myeong! Are you alright?!”
As Dokgo Myeong regained his wits, his lips trembled as he muttered.
“I am….”
“You are? What do you mean ‘I am’!”
“…perhaps truly a genius? To actually control this.”
“….”
A deafening silence fell.
Namgung Sohwa swallowed hard, then with trembling hands pried open Dokgo Myeong’s eyelids.
“Was it demonic possession after all?”
“….”
“No? Your eyes look normal, so why has your mind gone elsewhere?”
“My eyes hurt. Let go.”
“Just a moment.”
“Let go, I said?”
“Just stay sitting! Don’t get up… Ugh!”
As Dokgo Myeong brushed her hand away and sprang to his feet, Namgung Sohwa bounced up like a startled rabbit and cried out.
“D-don’t get up! Sit back down! Or at least cover yourself!”
“What are you talking about? Cover what?”
“Your clothes! Your clothes! Look at yourself! Please!”
As Namgung Sohwa covered her eyes and hopped about frantically, Dokgo Myeong clicked his tongue and lowered his head.
“What do you mean cover my clothes… What is this?”
The garment draped over him had become little more than rags, utterly failing to serve its purpose. More skin was exposed than covered.
Even the Dragon Scale Robe, which bore not a single scratch from the Thunderbolt Pellet, hung half-slipped from his body, crumpled and twisted beyond recognition.
Dokgo Myeong hastily wrapped the Dragon Scale Robe around himself and cried out.
“Who was it! Who dared to tear at someone’s clothes while I was cultivating… W-wait, surely not you, Sohwa…?”
“Are you insane?!”
“Then who was it!”
“Who else! Who else could it be!”
Namgung Sohwa’s face flushed crimson as she shouted.
“What exactly were you doing?”
“I was cultivating.”
Namgung Sohwa ground her teeth audibly.
“If you cultivate even one more time, I’ll blow up the entire Martial Alliance myself.”
Only then did Dokgo Myeong’s eyes begin to register his surroundings.
It was a disaster.
The flooring of the training ground was completely shattered, the walls had collapsed, and the pavilion looked as though a typhoon had torn through it—the walls were stripped bare, exposing the interior completely.
“You’re saying I did all this?”
“Yes, just moments ago! Do you know how shocked I was? I sensed a strange qi disturbance and came to stand guard, only to find you bleeding from every wound, convulsing violently! Then you suddenly sprang up and threw a punch! I thought you’d calm down once you sat, but then you got swept up in a Dragon Fist Gale!”
“I-I’m sorry. Y-you’ve worked hard.”
“Are you… are you alright?”
“I can’t even say I’m fine in jest.”
“I won’t survive this! Let’s find the Medical Division right now! Hurry!”
That was when it happened.
Boom-boom-boom!
Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from all directions.
“We’re under attack!”
“What’s happening within the sacred grounds of the Martial Alliance!”
“Enemies! They must be Jeongheol Disciples!”
The security forces and masters of the Alliance came rushing toward the source of the sudden explosions.
“Huh?”
“Ah, w-what is this….”
“General Jeongmu?”
They halted in confusion upon seeing Dokgo Myeong and Namgung Sohwa, along with the devastated training ground.
Dokgo Myeong glanced back at Namgung Sohwa.
“S-Sohwa.”
Namgung Sohwa coldly averted her gaze from him.
“Since I know nothing of what transpired, perhaps the Leader should take direct responsibility and handle the aftermath yourself.”
“…!!”

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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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