TL: FoodieMonster007

    Baek Suryong and his group took the shortcut the hunter couple had told them about. The downpour had stopped, but the rain that had fallen all night had caused the ground to collapse and turn muddy, forcing them to dismount and walk.

    "...Who do you think the Mountain God really is?" Jaegal Soyeong asked.

    Baek Suryong chuckled. "I was wondering what you were thinking so deeply about all morning. So that''s what you''ve been pondering?"

    "It just doesn''t add up, no matter how I analyze it. The hunters said that the Mountain God controls wind and rain and strikes down lightning. That means either the Mountain God has mastered an extraordinary sorcery or his martial arts are so advanced that they create that illusion," Jaegal Soyeong explained, her eyes gleaming. As someone specializing in murim history and formations, she couldn''t just ignore mysterious rumors in the murim.

    "Anyone come to mind?" Baek Suryong asked.

    Jaegal Soyeong nodded. Then, with bright, eager eyes, she explained, "If we limit our candidates to powerful martial artists who have vanished in the past few decades, the Blood Kirin, the Witch of Nine Hells, and the Thunder Demon are the prime suspects." Each is a villain whose return would shake the murim to its core.

    "They''re all from the unorthodox, huh."

    "Masters from orthodox sects rarely hide away in a forest like this."

    "True..." Baek Suryong nodded.

    Most orthodox sect masters would retire peacefully, becoming elders of their sects or clans, or building pavilions in scenic areas to enjoy a leisurely life. The ones who secluded themselves in mountains like this were usually those with a heavy past.

    Namgung Su, listening to their conversation from behind, muttered, "The Thunder Demon..."

    "You know about him?"

    Namgung Su pulled Namgung Mi''s cloak tightly around her to shield her from the lingering drizzle, then replied, "He was a top unorthodox sect martial artist who clashed with my clan in the past. He became a wanted criminal after using the Star Absorption Technique to drain the life force of other martial artists. Since he operated near my clan''s territory..."

    He paused for a moment. He was reluctant to mention a certain name. Finally, he sighed and continued, "...The Blue Sky Sword King personally set out to eliminate him, but that bastard still managed to hold out and evade capture for over ten days."

    "Ten days?" Baek Suryong''s jaw dropped. He managed to elude the Blue Sky Sword King for ten whole days? That''s something most masters could only dream of!

    Namgung Su nodded. "At that time, the Blue Sky Sword King had not yet become one of the Ten Supremes... but in the final confrontation, after exchanging over a hundred blows, the gravely injured Thunder Demon leapt off a cliff."

    "Then he''s dead, isn''t he?"

    "His body was never found, so we can''t be sure. However, my clan believes he''s still alive."

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    Namgung Su recalled a story the Blue Sky Sword King once shared with their clan.

    "The Thunder Demon is not dead. That bastard is as tenacious as a leech. He wouldn''t die so easily. He''s probably hiding somewhere, recovering his martial arts."

    The Blue Sky Sword King often spoke about the Thunder Demon, especially how terrifyingly powerful the Thunder Demon Art was.

    "If that bastard had fully mastered his martial arts, it might have been me who was defeated instead."

    "Huh..."

    "Could he really have been that strong...?"

    That shocking revelation led the Namgung Clan to briefly reconsider the Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique, which had nearly fallen into obscurity. More importantly, it was then that Namgung Su''s late mother had discovered the technique and forced her son to learn it.

    "Master the Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique. I heard that while it''s a bit painful, you''ll grow faster than with the Infinite Heavens Sword Technique. If you reach complete mastery, you''ll attain the realm of the Thunder God. That''s the only way you''ll surpass your brothers."

    "...Understood."

    Because of that, Namgung Su ended up being the only member of the Namgung Clan to truly learn the self-torturous Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique.

    While he did eventually surpass his brothers and emerged as a strong candidate for Young Master, it wasn''t solely because of the Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique but due to entirely different reasons.

    Instead, before leaving the Namgung Clan after completing the new instructor training course, the Namgung Patriarch had pulled him aside and suggested, "It''s not too late yet. Why don''t you start practicing the Infinite Heavens Sword Technique now?"

    The Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique was notoriously difficult and excruciating to master. In comparison, the Infinite Heavens Sword Technique was far more stable, and its power was by no means inferior.

    "There''s no one in our clan who can guide you in the Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique, but that''s not the case for the Infinite Heavens Sword Technique."

    "......" Namgung Su, knowing that all too well, nodded after a moment''s thought, saying, "I''ll learn it."

    "Good! That''s the right decision. The fundamentals of swordsmanship are the same, so you''ll catch on quickly..."

    "However, I''ll master the Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique before anything else."

    "What? Sigh, you''re as stubborn as always! Just who did you inherit that trait from...?"

    "You, of course. Who else could it be but Father?"

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    "Geh...!"

    Namgung Su was a man who never left anything unfinished. Even if a martial art was painful and challenging, he wouldn''t abandon it halfway. Some might call him foolish for taking the harder path, but that very stubbornness defined him.

    "...I''m already accustomed to the pain the Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique inflicts on me, and am on the verge of a breakthrough."

    The Namgung Patriarch knew how deceptive the phrase "I''m on the verge of a breakthrough" could be for martial artists, but faced with his son''s unwavering determination, he had no choice but to relent.

    "...Fine. I''ll write a letter to the Thunder Dragon Swordsman. Visit him during your break and seek his guidance in martial arts."

    "That won''t be necessary..."

    "If you refuse, I''ll expel you from the clan."

    "...Thank you."

    This was the reason why Namgung Su was heading to Hubei instead of returning to Anhui over summer vacation.

    "You sure know a lot about the Thunder Demon," Baek Suryong remarked, snapping Namgung Su out of his reverie.

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    Baek Suryong''s expression hardened. The old man donned a pristine white robe, sported a long beard that reached his belly, and his feet hovered an inch above the ground, lending him an almost divine aura.

    His inner arts are terrifying.

    Judging by the old man''s sheer aura, he was nearly at the level of the Ten Supremes.

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    The rest of the group felt the same oppressive force as Jaegal Soyeong''s face turned pale, and Namgung Su immediately pulled Namgung Mi behind him.

    "That martial art, it can''t be..." Namgung Su, who had deduced the opponent''s identity, asked gravely, "Are you the Thunder Demon?"

    "Oho. So there are still those who recognize this old man. Are you, by any chance, a member of the Namgung Clan? You bear some resemblance to Namgung Jaehak in his younger days."

    Namgung Su scowled. "...Do not mention that name again."

    "Kukuku, how arrogant for a mere brat. It seems the world has changed quite a bit while I was away from the mortal realm." Chuckling, the Thunder Demon stroked the golden leech on his shoulder. "Flashy, don''t you agree that fine young man would make a delicious last supper?"

    The leech wriggled, sending white electricity surging violently around the Thunder Demon''s body.

    CRACKLE, BOOM!

    The white lightning completely enveloped him, scorching the ground black where he hovered.

    "Everyone, fall back!" Baek Suryong shouted, stepping forward to shield the group.

    Just from a glance, it was clear that this old man was not an easy opponent.

    Furrowing his brows, he said quickly, "I''ll handle him. In the meantime, you all should retreat..."

    "No, Baek Suryong. You take the others and fall back," Namgung Su interrupted, grabbing Baek Suryong by the shoulder and dragging him backward.

    Before Baek Suryong could even protest, he strode forward alone.

    "Namgung Su?" Baek Suryong muttered, staring at his colleague''s back in shock.

    He''s not someone who would lose his cool in a situation like this...

    The white lightning coiling around the Thunder Demon''s body was so intense that even he struggled to think of a counter, yet Namgung Su advanced without hesitation.

    "Kahahaha! How admirable, the way you care for your friends!" the Thunder Demon roared with laughter, then extended his hand.

    BOOM!

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    He fired a white bolt of lightning so bright that everyone was momentarily blinded at Namgung Su.

    To everyone''s shock and horror, Namgung Su chose not to dodge and took the lightning head-on.

    "Nooo!"

    "Oppa!"

    Jaegal Soyeong and Namgung Mi screamed, while Baek Suryong gritted his teeth and widened his eyes.

    Soon, however, their screams turned into stunned gasps.

    "Huh...?"

    "O-Oppa!"

    "...Seriously, this guy."

    Namgung Su was completely unscathed. At most, his brows were furrowed slightly more than usual.

    "Wasn''t that kind of... underwhelming?" he remarked snidely.

    "What? How...?!" The Thunder Demon''s jaw dropped in shock.

    That was the sixth stage of the Primordial Thunder Divine Art! It''s powerful enough to reduce a first-rate martial artist to ashes in an instant! Although it shouldn''t be enough to kill this man in one hit, how is he completely unharmed?

    The Thunder Demon''s eyes widened even more when he saw the lightning flashing across Namgung Su''s body.

    "Wait... are you also a lightning arts practitioner?"

    "Yes, so your lightning does not work on me."

    The Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique was the only lightning art among the Namgung Clan martial arts, and Namgung Su had devoted himself to mastering it since childhood. When it came to lightning resistance, he was confident that no one could surpass him.

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    SHING!

    Namgung Su drew his sword. He briefly glanced at the fallen hunter couple, then back at the Thunder Demon. "If your only skill is spewing lightning, then today, you will die by my sword."

    "You insolent brat! I''ll turn you to ashes!"

    The Thunder Demon thrust both hands forward, unleashing a bolt of lightning far stronger than before. It surged like a great white dragon soaring toward Namgung Su.

    Still, Namgung Su did not waver. He simply sliced through the lightning that blocked his path and charged at the Thunder Demon.

    Meeting Namgung Su''s indifferent gaze, the Thunder Demon''s eyes widened in shock.

    Translator''s Note: When I saw Suryong mention Murphy''s law "Unfortunately, when it rains, it pours, so bad premonitions tended to come true more often than good ones," I just knew I had to update this chapter early. The next chapter will be in roughly 20-24hours as I will be shopping for a new SSD, reinstalling windows and all my apps, and attempting to salvage my game saves which are the only files I failed to back up.

    Master Baek epub volume 3 which covers the whole of Season 3 (chapter 200–296) will be released soon too.

    Oh, and chapter 300! Clap clap clap!