Thunder God's Reincarnation

Chapter 19

Baek Mu-Gun guided them outside the Sea Dragon Archipelago, then went back in again with his six subordinates using a reconnaissance ship.

“May I ask what you’re looking for here?” Nak Il-Bang asked cautiously.

“I’m trying to find the Heavenly Seafarer’s legacy,” Mu-Gun answered truthfully.

“Heavenly Seafarer? You mean that member of the Ten Wonders of the World a hundred years ago?” Sah Do-Kwang asked in surprise.

He was the least skilled in martial arts among the six, but he had the most knowledge. The Seafarer was revered as one of the Ten Wonders of the World, but not many people knew of his name now since a hundred years had passed since their era. The fact that Do-Kwang still knew his name proved that he had considerable knowledge about the murim world.

“Yes. As far as I know, the Seafarer left his secret technique in the sea. It is also said that he was so well-versed in array techniques that he stood above the Great Zhuge Family[1] which was regarded as the best in the world when it came to that field.”

“An array technique known as the Fantasy Fog Array hid the Sea Dragon Archipelago in the middle of the sea. What a great coincidence.”

“So that’s why you said you wanted to check it out.”

“How can we help you?”

“First, search throughout the Sea Dragon Island and let me know if you find anything unusual.”

Mu-Gun didn’t expect any of them to find anything. Still, their motivated expressions made him think he should at least give them something to do. Hence, he simply requested them to search the Sea Dragon Island.

“Understood.”

They scattered and searched through the Sea Dragon Island. After sending them away, Mu-Gun went up to the highest floor of the Sea Dragon Palace, where he could get a panoramic view of the Sea Dragon Archipelago. Its structure centered around the Sea Dragon Island, with large and small islands lined up in all directions. The Fantasy Fog Array was spread out surrounding them.

Standing on the Sea Dragon Palace’s top floor, he activated the Thunder God's Heavenly Eyes, then examined the flow of qi of the Sea Dragon Island and the islands surrounding it. If the Seafarer left his secret technique here, he would most likely have taken special measures to keep it hidden. Mu-Gun closely observed the Sea Dragon Archipelago until he spotted an area with an unusual qi flow. It was a small rocky island located northeast of the Sea Dragon Island. Its qi flow seemed artificial.

‘That’s the place!’

Mu-Gun was certain that the Seafarer left his secret technique behind in that place. He went straight down the Sea Dragon Palace and headed to the rocky island with the reconnaissance ship.

It was too small to be called an island, considering it barely had enough space for five or six adults to stand on. It didn’t seem to have anything special about it on the surface either. However, Mu-Gun was certain that there was something there.

He activated the Thunder God's Heavenly Eyes again and examined it in detail. Shortly afterward, he discovered a spot where the artificial qi flow gathered. It was connected to the lower part of the rocky island. In other words, it was under the sea.

Mu-Gun pondered for a while but eventually made up his mind and jumped into the sea. Diving underwater, he discovered the rocky island’s dignified appearance. Unlike the rocky island above that barely showed anything, the rocky island under the sea boasted a considerable size. It was like looking at a rocky mountain rising from the bottom of the sea.

Mu-Gun continued examining the rocky island with the Thunder God’s Heavenly Eyes until he finally found the source of the artificial qi flow. It was a small cave formation at the bottom of the rocky island. He thought it would be connected to the Seafarer’s legacy.

However, he didn’t immediately go inside. Instead, he first went back to the surface. Even though he was a martial arts expert, he still couldn’t breathe endlessly underwater. It would be unwise to thoughtlessly enter the cave despite his lack of any information about how long it stretched.

He needed underwater breathing equipment. Fortunately, the equipment of the Sea Dragon Gang was still on Sea Dragon Island. Those pirates used a large sheepskin pouch with a suction tube located on its mouth for diving and launching attacks. When filled with air, the sheepskin pouch allowed its user to move underwater for more than thirty minutes.

Mu-Gun utilized the sheepskin pouch to stay under the sea. He couldn’t use it efficiently at first but eventually learned how to skillfully breathe through it after a few practices. Having grown accustomed to it, he decided to head straight to the underwater cave, which he believed contained the Seafarer’s legacy.

“Wouldn’t it be too dangerous? You don’t even know what’s inside the cave.” Nak Il-Bang expressed his concern.

“Don’t worry. If I feel something isn’t right, I’ll come back up right away.”

Mu-Gun had no intention of obtaining the Seafarer’s secret technique if it meant having to overdo himself. It wasn’t really that important to him in the first place. The skills he currently possessed were more than enough for him to become unbeatable. Hence, there was no reason for him to sacrifice himself for the Seafarer’s legacy. Still, obtaining it would be great. There was no need to risk his life, but he thought he should at least try.

After reassuring his subordinates, Mu-Gun jumped into the sea with the sheepskin pouch tied to his back. He then invoked the Thousand Pound Hammer Art and sank to the bottom of the rocky island in a single stroke. When the cave located on the rocky mountain came into view, he skilfully swam into it.

Its interior was quite wide, but it didn’t seem to have been naturally formed. The uniformly spaced luminous pearls embedded in the ceiling of the cave were evidence of that. If it weren’t for them, it would've been difficult to see its entrance due to how dark it was.

The lighting around the entrance helped Mu-Gun find its entrance. He wondered how a cave could be artificially created in such a deep place, but it also further convinced him that this place was the Seafarer’s legacy. There were only a few that could achieve such a feat, after all.

Mu-Gun continued to swim quickly deeper into the cave, inhaling air from the sheepskin pouch whenever he was running out of oxygen. The underwater cave was quite long. The maximum amount of time he could breathe with the air in the sheepskin pouch was limited to thirty minutes.

He intended to give up on the Seafarer’s legacy and start his return to the surface once fifteen minutes had passed. Getting to it could be possible if he were to see the cave’s end within thirty minutes, but he wouldn’t have enough air to return to the surface.

Roughly fifteen minutes had passed.

‘I guess this is it.’

It was unfortunate, but Mu-Gun thought he should stop now and return. However, as soon as he was about to turn around, he noticed the long cave curving upward. He had a gut feeling he’d reach the end of the cave by following that path.

Mu-Gun fearlessly followed his instincts. After swimming for a bit longer, he finally found the surface.

“Huff!”

Mu-Gun breathed out as he checked the place out. He was in a circular cave. The luminous pearls embedded in the ceiling made the area bright enough for him to distinguish the surroundings even though there wasn’t any sunlight.

Coming out of the water, he found another cave connected to the circular cave. He examined it with the Thunder God’s Heavenly Eyes as a precaution, finding no hidden devices that could trigger traps. Nevertheless, he entered it fully prepared to unleash his martial arts at any moment. Fortunately, nothing happened. Shortly afterward, he arrived at an artificially created stone chamber.

[Heavenly Sea Cave.]

Those three words were written above the stone chamber. It was clear now. This place was definitely the Seafarer’s legacy. Mu-Gun tried to open the door of the stone chamber, but it didn’t budge. Not even imbuing it with his internal energy and forcing it open made it move.

“He’s trying to be nasty to the end, huh.”

Mu-Gun took a step back and examined the stone door using the Thunder God’s Heavenly Eyes. Afterward, he approached the sea dragon sculpture carved next to the stone door and studied it. Finally, he turned its head to the side.

The stone door then roared open, sliding sideways. Mu-Gun waited for it to fully open before heading inside.

The stone chamber had a podium in the center and carvings of a person practicing martial arts on its walls. At the bottom of the carvings appeared to be martial arts inscriptions. The images on the wall were so elaborate they seemed to be alive and moving. He could see how much effort the Seafarer put into making this place.

Mu-Gun approached the podium in the center of the stone chamber. On top of it was a golden shield made of a turtle’s back and an antique-colored chest. The dust that had accumulated on them showed traces of time that had passed.

He blew some of the dust away, then opened the chest first, finding a parchment scroll and a leather pouch inside. He unrolled the parchment scroll and read its contents.

~

[To the person reading this,

My name is Hae Cheon-Pung, and I am the person leaving this letter to you.

I don’t know if my name will still be remembered by the time you find this, but I was known in murim as the Heavenly Seafarer.

The fact that you’re reading this means that you’ve passed through the Fantasy Fog Array and the underwater cave that I set up.

That makes you well qualified to obtain my martial arts.

Perhaps this makes you wonder why the martial arts I possess would need qualifications. Simply put, the techniques I’m about to pass on to you made me one of the Ten Wonders of the World.

I’m about to bequeath to you the martial arts of the Heavenly Sea God Sect, a martial art of the highest realms. Its depth and difficulty are incomparably higher than any other martial arts, making it hard to learn and understand with mere ordinary talent.

That is why I prepared such cumbersome obstacles. I had to test whether you truly are the person fated to inherit it.

As I have already said, the martial arts of the Heavenly Sea God Sect are profound and difficult. You’ll find it hard to master completely even if you devote your entire life to practicing it.

However, you were wise enough to find the secret map of the Heavenly Sea Cave hidden in the Fantasy Fog Array and use it to reach this place. Hence, you’ll certainly achieve great success with ease.

The Heavenly Sea God Sect’s martial arts are engraved on the wall of the stone chamber.

And in the leather pouch that was with this letter, you’ll find the beast core of the Golden Sea Turtle, a divine beast I obtained in my later years with great difficulty.

Absorbing it should provide you with great help in attaining the Heavenly Sea God Sect’s martial arts.

Furthermore, I also left you the Flying Golden Shield, made of the Golden Sea Turtle’s backplate, as well as the Flying Golden Shield Scripture that can be used to operate the shield. I hope you will make good use of it.

To the person reading this,

I only ask you a few things in return.

Master the martial arts of the Heavenly Sea God Sect and use it for righteousness.

And take care of the Heavenly Sea God Sect’s legacy so that it will not be lost.

I finish my letter here. I wish you great fortune in your future battles.

Hae Cheon-Pung, previous heir to the Heavenly Sea God Sect]

~

Upon reading the Seafarer’s letter, Mu-Gun realized that the Seafarer didn’t devise this place to be found blindly. Rather, he actually made a secret map and hid it within the Fantasy Fog Array.

Regardless, Mu-Gun still did eventually find the Heavenly Sea Cave. He put down the parchment scroll and opened the leather pouch in the chest. finding bright blue beads in it. It was the Golden Sea Turtle’s beast core, which the letter mentioned.

“They contain a considerable amount of energy.”

At least sixty years’ worth of energy had been condensed inside the beads.

However, perhaps because it was a divine beast of the sea, the energy inherent in the beast core carried water qi.

“This is useless to me.”

The internal energy cultivation method Mu-Gun practiced was based on thunder qi. Since the characteristics of his internal energy were different, the Golden Sea Turtle’s beast core was useless for Mu-Gun.

He could utilize the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art’s effects to achieve some enhancement in his internal energy. However, at best, it would still be difficult to absorb even a tenth of the energy in the beast core. Giving it to someone else would yield greater results.

Mu-Gun returned the Golden Sea Turtle’s beast core to the leather pouch and put it away in his pocket.

Afterward, he picked up the golden shield. The Golden Sea Turtle was a thousand-year-old divine beast, and its backplate was known to be strong enough to deflect vajra qi.

The Flying Golden Shield was light and sturdy at the same time. He wasn’t sure about vajra qi, but it was more than durable enough to block sword qi and saber qi.

Mu-Gun turned over the Flying Golden Shield and looked inside, finding the Flying Golden Shield Scripture inscribed into it.

The Flying Golden Shield Scripture was a martial art that revolved around imbuing the Flying Golden Shield with qi and throwing it to attack the user’s enemy.

However, moving the shield as freely as controlling a sword with qi was impossible. All the user could do was attack their opponent with it and retrieve it after it had been thrown.

He wondered how effective throwing it would be. The essence of the Flying Golden Shield Scripture was to rotate the Flying Golden Shield at high speed. Considering this shield was sturdy enough to withstand vajra qi attacks, it should be capable of destroying a megalith stone if it crashed against one while rotating at high speed.

“It sounds useful.”

Satisfied with the Flying Golden Shield’s usefulness, he began to examine the images and scriptures engraved on the wall of the stone chamber. They showed the Heavenly Sea God Sect’s martial arts.

“It would’ve been much more convenient if he left it as a book.”

Mu-Gun thought Hae Cheon-Pung was twisted in many ways. Nevertheless, he began to memorize the Heavenly Sea God Sect’s martial arts.

The images depicted two types of Heavenly Sea God Sect’s martial arts: the Heavenly Sea Goliath Cultivation and the Heavenly Sea Waves Saber Art, which was an internal energy cultivation method and a saber technique respectively. The Heavenly Sea Goliath Cultivation and the Heavenly Sea Waves Saber Art were martial arts based on forces as powerful as the strong currents of the sea.

“These martial arts are amazing.”

The Heavenly Sea God Sect’s martial arts were excellent. Mu-Gun had learned and knew of many martial arts. However, among them, the only one superior to the Heavenly Sea God Sect’s martial arts was the Heavenly Descent Thunder God Sect’s martial arts.

That wasn’t to say the martial arts Mu-Gun knew were weak. If one were to rank all the martial arts to ever exist, the ones he knew would be ranked within the top hundred.

That just showed how great the martial arts of the Heavenly Sea God Sect were. Mu-Gun used two hours to completely memorize them. Such a feat was possible for him due to his high understanding of martial arts and an inherently great memory.

Now that he had memorized the Heavenly Sea God Sect’s martial arts, he no longer found any reason for him to remain here. Mu-Gun packed the Flying Golden Shield and filled the sheepskin pouch with air again. Afterward, he jumped into the underwater cave connected to the Heavenly Sea Cave.

1. When translating this novel, I was perplexed if I should translate the names by their Korean transliteration or Chinese Pinyin. After some thoughts, I decided to keep well-known Surnames such as Zhuge, Sima etc in the Chinese Pinyin and the rest as Korean transliteration for better clarity of the characters’ names. ?