Chapter 2361 – 2361. Ascension Of Light
Thanks to the Vajra Thunderbolt, I quickly escaped the hole in the Netherworld. As soon as I came out, the hole in the Netherworld closed and disappeared without a trace.
The Thunder Sound Temple was a mess. The magnificent temple was ruined by the aftermath of the battle, and the corpses of monks and warriors were scattered everywhere.
At the center were Jeonjeong, the abbot of the Thunder Sound Temple, and Pasanakgun, the head of the Great Eight Evils Society. They were clashing fists with each other. Fists that contained the power to instantly collapse a small hill.
Kwaaaang!
When fist met fist, the sound of an explosion rang out, and the aftershock swept in all directions.
‘Judging by the looks of it, Jeonjeong has the upper hand. The difference in cultivation level can’t be easily overcome.’
Jeonjeong was at the Upper Stage of the Three Stages. Pasanakgun was at the Middle Stage of the Three Stages. Moreover, this was the Thunder Sound Temple. Jeonjeong’s home ground, where thunder energy was abundant.
Suddenly, Jeonjeong stepped back. Instead of following, Pasanakgun spat out a mouthful of blood and composed his breathing. Jeonjeong turned his head sharply and glared at me.
“I don’t know how you managed to return from the Netherworld… but it’s a good thing that the Vajra Thunderbolt has returned and the hole in the Netherworld has disappeared. Blood Demon Path and the Great Eight Evils Society… I will kill all of you wicked beings here! Vajra Thunderbolt! Come here!”
“Do you think I’ll give it to you so easily?”
I gripped the Vajra Thunderbolt tightly. I could feel the Vajra Thunderbolt resisting me. It was impossible to put it in my inventory. That was because I didn’t have complete ownership of the Vajra Thunderbolt.
“I am the master of the Vajra Thunderbolt! Do you think you can bind the Vajra Thunderbolt with your power! Vajra Thunderbolt! Come to me!”
The Vajra Thunderbolt slipped out of my grasp. In an instant, the Vajra Thunderbolt was spinning around Jeonjeong.
“You’ve finally come!”
Jeonjeong grinned. He completely erased my ownership and influence over the Vajra Thunderbolt and threw it at Pasanakgun.
The Vajra Thunderbolt flew like a golden lightning bolt. The Vajra Thunderbolt was incredibly fast. It was the speed of lightning, so it was natural. But there was nothing that couldn’t be avoided. There was a premonition before the Vajra Thunderbolt flew. If one’s senses were sensitive and they reacted in time, they could avoid it.
Pasanakgun, who was catching his breath, quickly rolled on the ground to avoid the Vajra Thunderbolt. Soon, his face turned red and then blue. For a martial artist, rolling on the ground was a disgrace in itself.
“Hahaha! A so-called absolute master is rolling on the ground!”
Jeonjeong mocked. Pasanakgun unleashed killing intent towards him. Of course, Jeonjeong didn’t budge. The Vajra Thunderbolt, which had returned, was floating beside his shoulder.
“Blood Demon Path! Don’t just stand there and help! If we attack together, we can kill that bald monk!”
“Attack together? It’s laughable that such words are coming out of your mouth. You and that bald monk betrayed me! Why should I help you?!”
“This crazy bastard is still arguing about that.”
Pasanakgun couldn’t finish his sentence because of the golden lightning bolt flying towards him.
‘Even though I said that, I can’t just stand by and watch Pasanakgun die.’
It was difficult for me to face Jeonjeong alone. Even if I were to kill Pasanakgun, it had to be after killing Jeonjeong.
Pajijijik!
Sparks flew from Jeonjeong’s body. At the same time, his skin turned golden. It seemed that the Thunder Soul Arhat, a secret technique of the Thunder Sound Arhat Art, was influenced by the Vajra Thunderbolt. Lightning flickered wildly from Jeonjeong’s right fist.
‘That’s the Thunderclap Strike of the Thunder Sound Arhat Art.’
It was a simple-looking move, but its destructive power was not to be ignored. I moved before Jeonjeong could finish off Pasanakgun. I grabbed the Fire Lotus Flying Dagger in one hand and rushed towards him.
Thunder Sky Style, Flying Thunder God.
I took a position behind Jeonjeong. Jeonjeong suddenly turned his body. He extended his fist towards me.
“I knew you’d come!”
Thunder Sky Style, Electromagnetic Barrier, maximum output.
I deployed a barrier of energy mixed with protective energy directly in front. His fist struck the barrier without hesitation.
Kwarurururung!
The barrier shattered with the sound of thunder from his fist. I quickly raised the blade of the Fire Lotus Flying Dagger and placed it in front of his fist. He didn’t care and struck his fist against the blade of the Fire Lotus Flying Dagger.
Clang!
When fist and blade collided, there was a metallic sound. I was pushed back by the shockwave.
‘Damn it. What kind of power is that? Even if he used the Thunder Soul Arhat, it’s too much.’
Even if the Thunder Soul Arhat temporarily boosted physical abilities, Jeonjeong was strangely strong right now.
‘…!’
I felt a strange sensation in my senses. A sensation as if there was a line extending towards me. It was a premonition. I quickly twisted my body. A golden lightning bolt grazed past me.
Jeonjeong gestured. The golden lightning bolt changed direction and rushed towards me. I felt the premonition as before and quickly dodged.
‘I can’t just keep getting hit like this. Fall!’
A bolt of lightning fell towards Jeonjeong. Jeonjeong must have sensed the lightning falling, but he didn’t avoid it. It was lightning imbued with my power. It wasn’t ordinary lightning. But it didn’t work at all.
“That’s just ticklish.”
Jeonjeong grinned and provoked me. I knew that Jeonjeong was born with the thunder spirit. I also knew that he had a considerable affinity for thunder. Still, I thought that my lightning, which was mixed with my power, would work to some extent.
‘It doesn’t seem to be completely ineffective… He’s terribly tough, probably because he trained in both thunder and external martial arts at the same time.’
The affinity wasn’t good. Moreover, the opponent’s cultivation level was higher than mine.
‘Should I use the Demonic Heavenly Art?’
No.
The Demonic Heavenly Art had an even worse affinity. Even if he was a bald monk, the martial arts he had learned were Buddhist martial arts. It was the worst possible match. In that sense, the Thunder Sky Style would be better. And I didn’t think the Thunder Sky Style was weak.
‘If pure thunder doesn’t work, I’ll cut him to death with a sword.’
I gripped the hilt of the Fire Lotus Flying Dagger with both hands and deflected the golden lightning bolt flying straight at me. Clang! The Vajra Thunderbolt flew towards Jeonjeong and stopped right in front of him.
“A sword that is still intact even after colliding head-on with the Vajra Thunderbolt… It’s not an ordinary sword, is it? Is it a divine artifact? Our Thunder Sound Temple doesn’t use blades, but… I want that sword! I will kill you and take that sword!”
“Now you’re openly revealing your greed. Aren’t you ashamed, you monk?”
“I will transcend all worldly desires someday, so it’s okay.”
It was then. Pasanakgun secretly approached Jeonjeong from behind and threw a punch.
“I don’t know why Buddha is keeping you alive.”
But it didn’t work. A barrier had been deployed around the Vajra Thunderbolt.
Jeonjeong smiled confidently.
“Did you think I had forgotten about you? The Vajra Thunderbolt has excellent spell support capabilities. It’s nothing to deploy a defensive spell in an instant.”
“That’s amazing. Hup!”
Pasanakgun put strength into his fist that touched the barrier. There was no change on the surface.
“Cough!”
Jeonjeong suddenly coughed up blood.
“You…! What did you do?!”
“It’s explosive force. Does a martial artist not know that?”
“Don’t talk nonsense! Do you think I would be affected by explosive force!”
“Divine artifacts are not your exclusive property.”
Pasanakgun’s gauntlets sparkled. It seemed he had a hidden attack.
“This bastard…!”
Just as Jeonjeong was about to clench his fist and swing it, I rushed towards him.
Thunder Sky Style, Flying Thunder God.
[Using acceleration. Lasts for 10 minutes. Remaining stacks: 11]
[Using Instant. Remaining stacks: 10]
I closed the distance in an instant and raised the Fire Lotus Flying Dagger.
‘Domain activation.’
Starlight poured out of the Fire Lotus Flying Dagger, illuminating the surroundings.
Thunder Sky Style, Thunder罡 Blade.
The blade of red lightning cut through Jeonjeong’s barrier like tofu.
The Vajra Thunderbolt moved and blocked the Fire Lotus Flying Dagger. I made a mistake. The Vajra Thunderbolt was something I had to take. I had no intention of destroying it at all. However, contrary to my expectations, the Vajra Thunderbolt was not even scratched.
‘I even used the domain, and it’s like this? I knew it was a divine artifact of Sakra Devanam Indra, but… I didn’t expect it to be this powerful.’
I deflected the Vajra Thunderbolt and swung my sword. But this time as well, the Vajra Thunderbolt blocked the Fire Lotus Flying Dagger.
In the meantime, Jeonjeong and Pasanakgun were punching each other. It was as if they would die if they stepped back, both of them swinging their fists without giving an inch.
“You’re quite good with your fists for a bald monk!”
“These are fists that have been trained through long practice. Do you think a mere mortal can dare to face my fists!”
Jeonjeong let out a battle cry and suddenly spread his fist to form a palm and struck out. Jeonjeong’s palm collided with Pasanakgun’s fist. A huge lightning bolt exploded from Jeonjeong’s palm.
Kwakwakwakwang!
With the explosion, Pasanakgun was slammed into the ground and writhed. Electricity remained in his body, twitching. He wasn’t dead, but he was electrocuted, and his right arm was twisted up to his shoulder. It was fortunate that it didn’t explode.
“You’re next!”
Jeonjeong turned his body sharply and extended his palm towards me. I tried to dodge with the Flying Thunder God, but lightning chains extended from the Vajra Thunderbolt and bound my body. It was the spell Lightning Chain Binding.
‘Damn it. Because of the Vajra Thunderbolt, I can’t do anything.’
The Vajra Thunderbolt itself was amazing, but… Jeonjeong, who wielded it, was also no ordinary person. Seeing him deal with Pasanakgun and me at the same time, it seemed that he was dividing his consciousness into two to control his body and the Vajra Thunderbolt.
Even when I tried to move the Fire Lotus Flying Dagger to respond, the Vajra Thunderbolt stuck to the blade and interfered.
[Using Instant. Remaining stacks: 9]
‘My innate energy was also half-drained by the Extinction Thunder Soul Art… I should die once and look for an opportunity. Of course, I won’t just die.’
Before the Thunderclap Palm could be fully activated, I extended my palm first to meet his. Unfortunately, I couldn’t use the Thunderclap Palm. That was because it was a move that could only be used after fully mastering the Thunder Sound Arhat Art.
‘It doesn’t matter. I have the Thunder Sky Style.’
Pajijijik!
Golden lightning flashed from his palm. Blue lightning flashed from my palm. The two lightning bolts collided and canceled each other out.
“Ho. So you want to try? You’ll regret it? You dare to think you can win against my pure thunder energy while harboring a demon within you!”
Jeonjeong increased his output. The golden lightning pushed back the blue lightning. I felt a pain as if my left hand was being torn apart.
“I don’t know what you mean by purity… but I won’t lose to you in a pure thunder battle.”
Thunder Sky Style, Evil Thunder.
The blue lightning, mixed with demonic energy and thunder energy, turned into a dark blue and devoured and eroded the golden thunder energy.
“That’s a very vicious thunder energy! But using the power of demonic energy is your fatal mistake!”
The momentum of the golden lightning, which seemed to be pushed back, suddenly increased. The anti-demonic power unique to Buddhist martial arts was pushing back the Evil Thunder. A difference in affinity. But I didn’t care.
Because I could give other properties to the thunder.
‘Freeze.’
Jjeojeojeong!
Jeonjeong’s hand began to freeze. Jeonjeong’s eyes widened. Since he had no pupils, only his glare became more intense.
“What is that! That lightning…!”
“Your concentration is wavering.”
[Using Instant. Remaining stacks: 8]
I didn’t miss the gap where the Vajra Thunderbolt’s reaction became dull and stabbed the Fire Lotus Flying Dagger into his side. The Vajra Thunderbolt was a step late and pierced my right shoulder, but it didn’t matter. What was important was that Jeonjeong couldn’t move right now.
“Yuyeoryeo!! Use the poison! Quickly!”
Yuyeoryeo, who had been hiding in the shadows a little distance away, appeared. She seemed to hesitate for a moment as she looked at me, then bit her lip and threw a poison bottle. The poison bottle broke as it hit Jeonjeong’s head, scattering poison everywhere. He and I were covered in the deadly poison.
Jeonjeong’s face contorted. I chuckled.
“I know better than anyone how deadly the poison of the Poisonous Evil is. Even if you use thunder energy, it will take time to burn away the poison.”
“Shut up. I’ll just kill you and that bitch and clean up! Die!”
The Vajra Thunderbolt, which had been embedded in my shoulder, came out and pierced my heart.
[Death resistance has been activated. You will not die for the next 15 seconds.]
