The Lightning I Harbor Is Too Strong - Chapter 58

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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 58
Screee-squeal!
Golden fur bristling stiffly upright, a stench that assaulted the nostrils, an ungodly shriek that battered the eardrums.
Roooaaar!
Yeon Baek-ha summoned the Lightning Flash Body Transformation, a technique refined over half a lifetime of cultivation, and threw his body backward. In the same instant, his sharp-honed senses cut through the chaos and read his attacker in a flash.
“……A boar?”
Even in the midst of retreating, an expert of his caliber would not make such a mistake.
This was undoubtedly a golden wild boar.
Though admittedly, it was the first golden boar he’d ever seen wreathed entirely in saffron Thunder Qi.
Landing lightly, Yeon Baek-ha called out sharply.
“Jung I-sin! Fall back!”
Jung I-sin nodded at once and withdrew to the outer edge of the Training Ground. It was excellent judgment—acknowledging his own limitations and stepping back immediately without delay.
‘For a junior Entrance Examination candidate, that deserves credit. Most of them can’t read the room and end up becoming dead weight.’
This was true even at Cheonmu Academy, where the most talented of the younger generation gathered.
It was a common sight whenever they held joint combat trials or sortie missions.
Usually, students only grasped their own place after reaching this level.
Squeal-squeal! Screee-screee!
“Then I’ll make this quick……!”
The boar charged forward with a deafening cry.
Yeon Baek-ha drew his blade with fluid grace, assuming an upper-level stance, and exhaled slowly.
“Haaa…….”
Yeon Baek-ha was a master of Breaking Analysis.
Since Breaking Analysis begins with observing one’s opponent, his mastery of the Eye Technique was beyond question.
A man who had spent his entire life analyzing the Qi Aura and flow of others.
Finding the weak point of a mere beast was nothing—a single glance would suffice.
Crackle! Crack-crack—!
Murky cyan Thunder Qi erupted across Yeon Baek-ha’s entire frame. The throbbing in his head resumed, but he clenched his teeth and brought the blade down in a decisive stroke.
Shrieee!
There—just above the root of its fang, where it connected to the temple—that was the beast’s vital point.
Clang!
“……!”
The blade bounced away. The golden Qi wreathing the boar had repelled his True Qi.
Roooaaar!
“Ugh!”
Unable to land the finishing strike, he took the full impact of the boar’s massive head.
Twisting his body in midair, he quickly re-gripped his blade. The boar, closing the gap in an instant, charged again.
Yeon Baek-ha let out a bitter laugh.
“……This is unseemly.”
He’d come to evaluate the instructors, and here he was, cutting a poor figure.
It was absurd enough to be forcing his power against such a creature, but if this continued any further, not even laughter could gloss over the indignity.
Considering that Byeokcheon Pavilion might be observing from nearby, he could face disciplinary consequences afterward!
A cluster of murky cyan stars climbed along the blade.
Crackle-crackle-crack!
Overwhelming strength, he sometimes thought, was not so different from Breaking Analysis.
Yeon Baek-ha swung without hesitation.
Shwoop!
The boar’s raised head was severed cleanly in two.
The stench of the beast mingled with the smell of searing meat.
Click. Thud—
As he sheathed his blade, the boar’s corpse collapsed behind him. Yeon Baek-ha searched for Jung I-sin with the most composed expression he could muster. He had to preserve the dignity of the teaching staff, after all.
Jung I-sin, still standing at the Training Ground’s edge, suddenly pointed behind Yeon Baek-ha with an expression of shock.
“……!”
This time, he believed him.
Shrieee!
The moment Yeon Baek-ha kicked off the ground, something hurtled past him at tremendous speed.
“Demonic Qi!?”
He identified it instantly.
Something that had burst from within the severed boar’s skull, wreathed in Demonic Qi, shot across the Training Ground.
Its target was painfully obvious from the trajectory.
“Jung I-sin!”
Yeon Baek-ha cried out urgently.
He couldn’t tell what was writhing within that murky demonic aura, but the very rippling of it announced it was far beyond what a mere entrance examinee could confront.
No matter how formidable Jung I-sin’s Thunder Qi might be, it was still only internal energy at this stage.
That meant it offered no guarantee of immediate victory in combat.
“Damn it……!”
Sure enough, Jung I-sin stood frozen at the sight of it rushing toward him.
He’d seemed quick enough a moment ago, but like any novice, his body had locked solid.
Crack—!
Yeon Baek-ha clenched his teeth and unleashed the Lightning Flash Body Transformation at full force. The side effects were severe, and he’d avoided using it this way before, but now there was no choice.
In the instant pain bloomed through his body, wreathed in Thunder Qi, something incredible flashed before his eyes.
Jung I-sin was pushing off the ground toward the mass of demonic aura.
“Wait—!”
There was no time to stop him.
Jung I-sin closed the distance in a heartbeat and raised his arm.
The wave rippling from his fingertips was truly beautiful—so much so that even Yeon Baek-ha, who had spent a lifetime analyzing martial arts, found his gaze stolen for an instant.
Right up until that wave began tearing the demonic aura apart.
Shriek—! Blast!
* * *
A lump of demonic aura erupted unexpectedly.
He’d swung Breaking Analysis almost on reflex.
If he’d deployed Thunder Brilliance, it would have left no trace at all—so he’d gone with Breaking Analysis instead…….
Which was why black blood now splattered across the Training Ground.
Jung I-sin’s face twisted in disgust.
“Caught it with my bare hand again. Ugh…….”
Having trained under Namgung Baek precisely to avoid this sort of thing, he was utterly exasperated.
What lay scattered across the ground was something difficult to describe—grotesque beyond measure.
“……A head?”
The shape was unmistakably that of a human skull.
But where features should have been, flesh hung charred and twisted as though burned, making it sickening to look upon.
“Damn it.”
He could only shudder at the sensation lingering on his palm.
“Jung I-sin.”
As he wiped his hands across his martial robes, Yeon Baek-ha’s voice reached him.
The older man stood a short distance from the skull, pressing his brow with both fingers.
“Master? I think you should take a look at this.”
……
Yeon Baek-ha only deepened his frown at Jung I-sin’s words.
He spoke as though struggling to comprehend something.
“Can’t you feel the Qi Aura emanating from it?”
“Sir?”
“Vile demonic Qi. A Qi Aura that stimulates Thunder Qi—I’ve never heard of such a thing being created. Step back for now.”
Jung I-sin tilted his head in confusion but obeyed without hesitation.
‘Stimulate? What does he mean?’
It was incomprehensible to him. The Qi Aura coming from the skull registered only as demonic Qi.
Yet it was clearly having some effect—Yeon Baek-ha’s condition didn’t look good.
He exhaled slowly and moved to a corner of the Training Ground.
Then he turned to Jung I-sin, who had quickly followed.
“That technique……was that your martial art?”
“Yes. It’s called the Dantroe Manhwa Technique, second form—Breaking Analysis.”
“Hah.”
With a hollow laugh, Yeon Baek-ha shook his head.
“You pass the evaluation. It’s a martial art that complements your cultivation perfectly—almost as though it were designed with the Gugeuk Cheonroe Gong in mind.”
“Ah……”
“I’m going to sit for a moment.”
Yeon Baek-ha, who had just mentioned that someone from Hoseong Dormitory District would arrive soon, stumbled badly.
Jung I-sin reacted instinctively, grabbing his arm.
Click—
The Thunder Wheel at his heart spun. In the same instant, a strand of Heavenly Thunder Qi burrowed into Yeon Baek-ha’s body.
“Ack! What is—!”
Yeon Baek-ha shoved Jung I-sin away in alarm, but just before his hand made contact, Jung I-sin deployed the Red Thunder Divine Art.
He knew that in the Jianghu, taking someone’s pulse without permission was a grave breach of etiquette.
It was one of the things Dang Mu-jeong had emphasized most to Jung I-sin.
Yet the moment he saw Yeon Baek-ha’s body before him, he couldn’t withdraw his True Qi.
‘What in the world is this body……?’
One could call it a tattered rag; one could call it rags—the description would stick.
Was Yeon Baek-ha’s ashen hair the side effect of Thunder Cultivation, as they said?
Having examined his frame, Jung I-sin thought differently.
‘It’s a miracle his hair didn’t burn away entirely.’
Crackle!
Jung I-sin could see Thunder Qi racing through Yeon Baek-ha’s meridians from head to toe.
It followed his will, yet by its very existence it was damaging his body. The Thunder Qi was not pure.
On the surface, it hadn’t been apparent, but upon direct examination, Yeon Baek-ha’s Thunder Qi had a decidedly turbid quality to it.
‘The Thunder Qi operates smoothly enough when he channels it, but when it’s first drawn up—that’s where the problem lies.’
The flow was the issue. The Thunder Qi emerging from his Dantian was murky, but the Thunder Qi that circulated through his entire body and returned to his Dantian was relatively clean.
‘The Dantian.’
There was no need for deep contemplation. The vessel itself was flawed.
Yeon Baek-ha’s martial way had taken root in third-rate Thunder Cultivation learned in some back-alley school. So naturally, whatever he’d encountered afterward was scarcely better.
He’d only come into contact with Superior Martial Arts after entering Cheonmu Academy, so it was inevitable that his Dantian lagged behind his current level.
Had it been a different kind of True Qi, the matter wouldn’t have been so grave.
The power or efficiency of the True Qi would simply be diminished.
Of course, that too would be a problem, if one were being strict about it…….
‘Murky Thunder Qi like this corrupts the body just by harboring it. This has nothing to do with how sensitive one is to Thunder Qi.’
Jung I-sin very slyly thrust a strand of Heavenly Thunder Qi into his Dantian. Simultaneously, he scattered the Red Thunder Divine Art through him.
Crack—crack!
“Jung I-sin—!”
Yeon Baek-ha shoved him away and sprang to his feet.
It was the most violent expression of emotion Jung I-sin had ever witnessed from him.
“……I apologize.”
Jung I-sin bowed his head without offering any excuse.
He heard Yeon Baek-ha’s sigh from somewhere near his head.
“I understand the curiosity of wanting to examine a master’s body.”
“I apologize.”
“But if a master is on guard, True Qi cannot penetrate as easily as it just did. This is a result of one’s ability to control their cultivation, not the quality of the Qi itself.”
“……?”
It was subtly different from what Jung I-sin had expected to hear.
He lifted his head slightly and saw Yeon Baek-ha shaking his head as if to say there was nothing to be done.
“Since you passed the evaluation……I’ll treat this as part of your instruction and let it go this time.”
“Th-thank you.”
* * *
Several days had passed since a demonic creature appeared in the individual training grounds of Cheongnyong Hall.
During that time, Yeon Baek-ha had not conducted lessons with Jung I-sin.
He had given him several foundational texts on Breaking Analysis and ordered him to study independently for now.
Jung I-sin had passed his evaluation.
The Dantroe Manhwa Technique, as they called it—it was perfectly suited for deploying the Gugeuk Cheonroe Gong.
Jung I-sin was uneasy—no, uncomfortable—because of this, but he could not shirk his duty as an instructor.
He had no intention of teaching Secret Unique Techniques, but he had resolved to fulfill his basic responsibilities.
He would give Jung I-sin as much as he gave his other students.
Yet there was another reason he had refrained from conducting direct lessons.
“……No matter how much I think about it, something feels off.”
Recently, Yeon Baek-ha had been preoccupied with examining his own physical condition.
“My body feels…… far too good.”
The frequency of the tinnitus and headaches that had plagued him for half his life had grown vastly longer. The headaches that used to strike without warning had simply vanished.
Even a colleague professor had asked if something good had happened.
Yet no matter how closely he examined himself, he could find nothing remarkable.
He was only certain of one thing: the exact moment his body had changed.
It was the day he conducted his first lesson with Jung I-sin.
“What did he do to me that day?”
The memory of when he had immediately stopped him from taking his pulse was vivid.
It was the moment Yeon Baek-ha had been about to examine his own body again.
Snap!
A wisp of Thunder Qi sprang upward from his dantian.
Just a single thread—yet its presence burned brighter than all his True Qi combined.
“……!”
This was absolutely not his own True Qi.
A Thunder Qi of such staggering purity that it evoked the very image of heavenly lightning striking down from the sky.
“……Jung I-sin.”
The words fell like a grinding curse.
Purity of Thunder Qi and refinement were not the same.
When Thunder Cultivation practitioners spoke of refinement, they meant how well one had distilled that Thunder Qi.
Then what of purity?
“Lightning.”
How closely it resembled the very lightning of nature itself.
The less pure it was, the further it drifted from true lightning, the more turbid the Thunder Qi became—and the worse the side effects.
In truth, the quality of one’s Thunder Cultivation determined the very birth and nature of that Qi.
Yeon Baek-ha carried Thunder Qi that was excellently refined, yet it lacked purity—which was why his True Qi shone a murky sky-blue.
But now, that Thunder Qi was changing.
The transformation began in his dantian.
Crack. Tick-tick—
Something was flaking away, shedding into nothing.
This was not a sound the ear could hear.
Tick-tick-tick—!
Something was shedding from Yeon Baek-ha’s dantian.
Like rust being scraped away, piece by piece.
The murky Qi that had accumulated decades ago, from his very first Thunder Cultivation session, was gradually scattering.
“Ah…….”
Yeon Baek-ha was Cheonmu Academy’s youngest professor—and also a martial artist who had devoted his entire life to Thunder Cultivation.
He could not possibly fail to understand what was happening within his own body.
“……Ha, haha!”
And far less could he fail to know the reason.
Yeon Baek-ha laughed aloud for the first time in many years.
Crackle!
Thunder Qi leapt from his palm, now gleaming with a pale, crystalline sky-blue.
His command over his True Qi had transformed. It was far swifter and more precise than before.
Exhilaration welled up in him like it had when he first opened his middle dantian.
……Surely, this was Jung I-sin’s doing.
Whether intentional or not.
“I have received…… a debt of gratitude.”
Where nine parts of his heart toward Jung I-sin had been fear, four of those parts had now transformed into gratitude.
“I must repay it.”
Yeon Baek-ha’s temperament was poor, but he was not without conscience.
And he remembered.
His assistant instructor—whom he had thrust Secret Techniques at before abandoning.
“To…… Cheongnyong Hall……!”
The lightning I carry within me burns far too bright—
Author |
Woo San-yu
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Samyang C&C Inc.
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Editorial Department
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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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