Chapter 2351 – 2351. The Ascent To Radiance
The Thunder Sound Temple looked different from the outside than it did from the inside. From the outside, it appeared like any ordinary sect, with buildings rising up in clusters. But upon entering, it was a Buddhist temple filled with stones, earth, and grass. No matter where one looked, large and small Buddha statues were visible.
They had used a barrier to distort and warp space.
“Esteemed guest! Welcome to the Thunder Sound Temple! I will guide you to the abbot!”
“Haha. To think an esteemed guest would arrive at this time! It is clear that the Buddha is helping us!”
“Om Mani Padme Hum!”
The bald-headed monks rejoiced. I shook my head at them.
“This is troubling. No matter how warmly you welcome me, I have no intention of converting to the Thunder Sound Temple.”
“Thoughts can always change. There’s no need to make a decision so quickly. Come, let us go inside! Om Mani Padme Hum.”
I followed the old monk, who seemed to be of high rank. Then, I noticed a large Bodhi tree next to the temple. I hadn’t seen it when I entered, as it was hidden, but the moment I saw it, I felt a churning in my gut.
The usually docile Heavenly Demon Divine Art was writhing.
“……”
I quietly gritted my teeth, suppressing the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Like the Shaolin Temple, the Thunder Sound Temple was also a Buddhist sect. If they found out I was a demon, they would try to kill me immediately.
“Oh, oh. You recognized it right away! That Bodhi tree is the sacred object of our Thunder Sound Temple! It was under that tree that Shakyamuni attained enlightenment and became the Buddha!”
“Impressive…”
“Esteemed guest, you don’t look well!”
“Seeing that large Bodhi tree reminded me of something. Shakyamuni overcame Mara’s temptations there and subdued him with his finger, right?”
“That is correct! No temptation could reach him, and he subdued Mara instantly with the Earth-Touching Mudra!”
That Mara is me, you bastard.
I somehow managed to suppress the rising curses. I was at a disadvantage here. If I had only reached the Harmony Realm, I would have taken these monks’ heads immediately.
But I was weak now, so I had to endure.
I was slightly surprised when I entered the temple. The interior was quite lavish.
‘These guys… aren’t they monks? Why are there gold and jewels embedded in the walls? The jars look incredibly expensive too… and the fabrics used for decoration seem to be high-quality.’
Yet, the monks’ robes were worn and old. It seemed they were putting on a show of being austere on the outside.
“You seem surprised. These were all donations. We could not carelessly discard what we received, so we have decorated with them.”
They could have just not accepted them in the first place.
I walked down a long corridor. Most of the monks guiding me stopped abruptly and put their hands together in a gesture of respect.
“Why did you suddenly stop?”
“Their cultivation is too low to enter further. The closer you get, the stronger the thunder energy becomes.”
“Is that so?”
The entire Thunder Sound Temple was filled with thunder energy. I hadn’t felt anything unusual about it, as it was a temple. It was all the same, one might say.
“You were born with a thunder spirit, so this level of thunder energy is nothing to you… In fact, it should feel refreshing, shouldn’t it?”
I checked my body for a moment. It did feel lighter than before.
“I suppose it does.”
I went inside.
Now I could definitely feel it. Dense thunder energy was concentrated at the center of the temple. The thunder energy was so strong that my lungs tingled with each breath! An ordinary person would be electrocuted to death the moment they stepped in here. Even those who had trained in thunder energy would have a hard time enduring it for long.
“I will stop here. The abbot is waiting inside.”
I entered the abbot’s room alone.
A bald old man in monk’s robes was sitting quietly on a cushion. I could feel the thunder energy swirling around him. He was born with a thunder spirit. Unlike me, who seemed to have a thunder spirit due to the Thunder skill from the game app, he was the real deal.
‘That’s a genuine thunder spirit.’
I didn’t feel any jealousy. If anything, I was a little disappointed. I could do that much with [Thunder] easily. No, I had already surpassed him.
Even now, the thunder energy around him was starting to gather around me.
“Om Mani Padme Hum! You are truly an esteemed guest! I am Jeonjeong, the abbot of the Thunder Sound Temple.”
“None of the monks at the entrance moved before I did. How did you know I was coming?”
“The thunder energy informed me, and I conveyed my will to the monks through it.”
So, he knew through something similar to electromagnetic waves?
It was also possible that he had commanded the monks through a technique.
Anyway, I sat quietly on the cushion in front of him. The power and aura emanating from him were extraordinary. He was at least in the upper tier of the Three Perfections. Moreover, this was the heart of the Thunder Sound Temple. The moment a fight broke out, the monks of the Thunder Sound Temple would swarm in.
I had no chance of winning.
“What do you want?”
“Haha. Isn’t it you who opened the gates of the Thunder Sound Temple? Esteemed guest, what brings you to the Thunder Sound Temple?”
“I don’t like beating around the bush, and you probably already expect it, so I’ll be frank. I’m interested in the martial arts and techniques of the Thunder Sound Temple.”
“The Thunder Arts of the Thunder Sound Temple are the best in the world. You have come to the right place.”
I could sense deep pride and subtle arrogance in Jeonjeong’s words. It didn’t seem like the attitude of a high monk, but since he was a martial monk in the world of [Ascent to Radiance], I let it slide.
“Will you let me see the martial arts and techniques of the Thunder Sound Temple?”
“Under normal circumstances, it would be absolutely impossible. The Thunder Arts of the Thunder Sound Temple belong solely to the Thunder Sound Temple.”
“So, it’s not impossible now.”
“There are conditions. If you accept those conditions, I will teach you the martial arts and techniques of the Thunder Sound Temple. Of course, you must swear not to reveal anything about the Thunder Sound Temple to others.”
“I swear.”
I could make empty promises as much as I wanted. If I became strong enough to destroy the Thunder Sound Temple later, the oath would be meaningless.
‘And if I distribute it in another world, what are they going to do about it?’
“Haha. I will trust your words, esteemed guest.”
“You trust me that easily?”
“For those of us who have achieved high levels of cultivation, like you and I, words are our will. Once spoken, words cannot be taken back, and to go back on one’s word is to wound one’s will.”
Rumble!
Thunder rumbled. I narrowed my eyes and looked at the air. The thunder sounded between me and Jeonjeong.
“What did you do?”
“The lightning has heard your oath.”
“Is that a technique?”
“You could say that. I will tell you the other conditions. Become a guest of the Thunder Sound Temple and help us. In return, I will personally take the time to teach you some of the martial arts and techniques of the Thunder Sound Temple. Of course, if you convert to the Thunder Sound Temple… I will teach you everything about the Thunder Sound Temple.”
“I do not believe in anyone.”
“I expected as much. How… will you accept?”
“What problem does the Thunder Sound Temple have that requires this?”
“It is not something that can be revealed to outsiders.”
“It’s not something that will harm me, is it?”
“It is something that will benefit the world, beyond the Thunder Sound Temple. I can guarantee it.”
“……”
I was silent, pondering, when Jeonjeong’s demeanor suddenly sharpened.
“Esteemed guest. I know why you have come to the Thunder Sound Temple. Isn’t your original purpose to shake off the Mara that constantly tempts you from within? Esteemed guest, I. The Thunder Sound Temple can help you.”
“…You knew?”
Jeonjeong smiled faintly and raised his eyelids. There were no pupils in his eyes. Only the whites were visible, and a subtle, mysterious light emanated from them.
“Haha. My eyes cannot be deceived. I have mastered the Mind Reading Technique, so it is not difficult for me to see the demonic energy within you.”
“You can see what I’m thinking?”
“Hmm. No. Your mental defenses are exceptionally strong. I cannot see anything.”
So, he could see if the mental defenses were weak. It was an impressive and enviable ability.
‘He could find traitors and rebels instantly….’
I carefully considered his proposal. He wanted me to stay at the Thunder Sound Temple as a guest and help them. I didn’t know what that help was, but he had declared that it wouldn’t harm me.
‘It’s not like he’s asking me to convert to the Thunder Sound Temple or Buddhism.’
In return, I could learn the martial arts and techniques of the Thunder Sound Temple. It was beneficial in many ways.
‘If it doesn’t seem right, I can just escape with spatial movement.’
Having finished my calculations, I nodded.
“I accept.”
“Om Mani Padme Hum…. Welcome. First, settle in and rest. I will tell you about the rest later. The Thunder Sound Temple also needs time to prepare.”
“It would be good if you could at least briefly tell me what problem the Thunder Sound Temple is facing.”
“Since you have become a guest of the Thunder Sound Temple, I will tell you. Decades ago, the Thunder Sound Temple split due to differences of opinion and fought. At that time, a hole connected to the Netherworld opened, and now the Thunder Sound Temple is putting all its efforts into destroying that hole. We have a method, but we were lacking in power… and that is when you appeared.”
“A hole to the Netherworld… Are you crazy?”
“It was an incident caused by the Thunder Sound Temple’s mistake… The Thunder Sound Temple will fix this.”
Jeonjeong did not show the slightest agitation. I backed away after seeing his unsettling gaze.
As I was being guided to my living quarters by another monk who had been waiting, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art inside me began to rage.
-You’re doing something pointless. Let’s rob the Thunder Sound Temple’s treasury and run away. Don’t you find this place unpleasant?
I didn’t know if the Heavenly Demon Divine Art had actually said that. It was just how I felt.
‘Shut up.’
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art fell silent.
