Bang!
Jin Cheonhui was knocked down by a low kick.
His hair fluttered softly as it rose.
"Master. I’m really glad I saved Yeo Haryun. It’s probably one of the two best things I’ve done in my life. The other is becoming your disciple."
"You’re such a kind child," the master said, which could be translated as, "You’re kind, so you’re being taken advantage of."
Suddenly, the master spoke again.
"Cheonhui, this time, why don’t you try wielding a spear and demonstrate the Samjae Kwonbeop?"
"I’ve never used a spear before. Will it be okay?"
"Yes. You’ll be able to grasp its essence," the master replied, stretching out his hand.
The wooden practice spear hanging on the wall flew into his hand as if drawn by an invisible force.
This was the skill of manipulating objects in the air—Heogong Seopmul.
'Just how deep is Master’s internal energy?' Jin Cheonhui wondered.
Due to the nature of the Five Elements Qi, which split internal energy into five parts, it was difficult to accurately measure the master’s cultivation level even through pulse diagnosis.
The master spun the spear once, as if it were flowing water, and tossed it to Jin Cheonhui.
The perfect arc of the spear’s trajectory was mesmerizing.
Thud.
The spear was both lighter and heavier than expected.
It was light to hold but heavy to wield all day.
Moreover, its length made it harder to balance than a sword.
"Don’t worry too much," said Zhuge Lin.
"If you can’t do it, just keep practicing until you can. But since you’ve trained the Samjae Kwonbeop to the point of imprinting it into your body, you’ll probably grasp it quickly."
Grasp what? Jin Cheonhui thought.
Based on the master’s usual habits, the meaning was simple: 'If you grasp it, you can move on to the next stage.
If you don’t, you’ll be drilled endlessly until you do, without being given the answer.'
Thinking too deeply about what he needed to realize only gave him a headache.
For now, he decided to just try.
Jin Cheonhui spun the spear once.
His body was well-trained from his previous practices.
His strength and stamina were excellent, and though he wasn’t as tall as that demonic guy, he had grown well.
He felt confident he could do it.
Jin Cheonhui began to wield the spear, executing the movements of the Samjae Kwonbeop.
Bang!
The tip of the spear struck the air. 'Ah, is this not the right feeling?' A spear needed to be sharp, unlike a fist. 'Let’s try cutting through the air more sharply.'
Strangely, even though he was just holding the spear and swinging it in the Samjae Kwonbeop stance, there were no blockages in his movements.
Whoosh!
The sound of the spear cutting through the air echoed.
High strike, middle strike, low strike, block, deflect.
The movements flowed seamlessly, as if he had been doing them all along.
It wasn’t intentional.
His body seemed to remember, moving as if he had already learned spear techniques.
'Ah, I see.
It’s simple, so it’s easy to adapt.'
If the Samjae Kwonbeop were compared to a vessel, it would be like a large, plain clay jar.
It wasn’t pretty or flashy, but it could hold a lot.
This was fun.
A smile spread across Jin Cheonhui’s face.
Like a child who had just received their first toy, he began to swing the spear in a trance.
'I want to replicate the perfect line Master just showed me.'
Once, twice, ten times, twenty times.
He lost track of time, just swinging and swinging.
Tang!
The elasticity of the spear shaft felt good.
The weight of the spearhead felt good.
The sensation of cutting through the air was exhilarating.
As he thought this, his internal energy began to flow out.
The Five Elements Qi separated into four characteristics, and then the four Qi—fire, wind, metal, and water—merged to create a new type of Qi.
Rumble—
The Five Elements Qi: Thunder.
Electricity began to spark along the spearhead.
It was similar to sword energy but slightly different.
Jin Cheonhui’s spear continued to move.
The electricity flowed along the path of the spear, like a meteor.
The light from the lightning scattered and gathered like stars.
Rumble!
Meanwhile, the training ground floor began to bear marks shaped like lightning.
The once plain and unremarkable Samjae Kwonbeop transformed into a dazzling spear technique imbued with thunder.
The lightning Jin Cheonhui had drawn bloomed on the training ground.
And the spear technique reached its climax.
Crack—!
The wooden spear stabbed into the granite floor.
Enlightenment surged through his entire body.
He was out of breath.
Leaning his head against the spear shaft, he panted heavily, closing his eyes to savor the enlightenment he had just experienced.
For a moment, his consciousness sank inward, and Jin Cheonhui quickly organized what he had realized. 'The sixth stage of the Five Elements Divine Art: Thunder Lightning! I’ve reached the sixth stage.'
But that wasn’t all.
He had also learned spear techniques through the Samjae Kwonbeop.
He didn’t know what this spear technique was.
At that moment, the master spoke.
"It’s called the Miri Thunder Spear. It’s said to depict the gathering and scattering of thunder. But in the martial world, it’s more famously known by another name: the Ten-Step Divine Spear."
Hearing that, a shiver ran down Jin Cheonhui’s spine. 'The Ten-Step Divine Spear? This is the Ten-Step Divine Spear?'
It was a spear technique mentioned a few times in novels.
It was a legendary spear technique said to prevent any enemy from approaching within ten steps.
In the stories, when enthusiasts talked about spear techniques, they would say things like, "It’s not as good as the legendary Ten-Step Divine Spear, but it’s still impressive," or "Perhaps it could surpass the Ten-Step Divine Spear," or "I’ve lived my life as a spearman. I’m confident I could match the Ten-Step Divine Spear."
But in reality, the Ten-Step Divine Spear had never actually appeared in the stories.
It wasn’t surprising.
The focus of martial arts novels was always on the sword.
After all, the sword was the king of weapons.
The spear played a supporting role.
In martial arts novels, even in the grandest martial arts tournaments, there might be one or two spearmen at most.
Most were swordsmen.
So, there wasn’t much reason to talk about spears in the first place.
The protagonist, that demonic guy, mainly used a sword or his fists.
Thinking this far, Jin Cheonhui suddenly realized why the master had given him the spear. 'The spear has a good match-up against Yeo Haryun.'
The length of a weapon was quite important.
Even in battles between masters who had grasped the principles of the sword, the length of the weapon was a significant factor.
The spear was longer than the sword.
It was also good against destructive sword techniques.
After all, if the enemy couldn’t reach you, it wasn’t a problem.
There was no better weapon to face that demonic guy.
The master spoke again.
"To master the Ten-Step Divine Spear, three conditions are necessary. First, you must master the Samjae Kwonbeop to its extreme, no matter how tedious and boring it is. Second, the Samjae Bobeop. You must also have enough enlightenment to master the Miri Thunder Spear. And lastly..."
"... You must have mastered the Five Elements Divine Art to at least the fifth stage."
"Yes. And you need a bit of talent. It’s a spear technique that requires a special person to master the most basic martial arts to their extreme, combined with the Five Elements Divine Art."
This was a martial art that heavily depended on the practitioner.
It wasn’t just about physical constitution but also their nature and personality.
The master said, "Congratulations on entering the initial stage of the Ten-Step Divine Spear, Cheonhui. In the entire Zhuge family, you’re probably the only one who’s reached this point in one go."
At that moment, the master coughed lightly.
It was as soft as a child’s breath, but it was sharp, as if something was breaking.
When the master removed his hand, there was black blood on it.
A second cough followed.
This time, bright red blood flowed between his fingers.
The master’s large body swayed once, then collapsed.
At the same time, Jin Cheonhui threw the spear and rushed toward the master.
"Master! Master...!"
The unconscious master’s body was heavier than a mountain and colder than ice.
They moved the master to a warm room and continuously treated him.
Fortunately, the master quickly regained consciousness.
"Another attack has come," he said.
"..."
Jin Cheonhui didn’t reply.
Instead, he held the master’s large hand with both of his own.
His eyes were filled with guilt.
"Cheonhui, I’m fine," the master said softly.
"..."
Jin Cheonhui remained silent.
The master’s voice carried the scent of death.
What made him even angrier was how calm the master’s voice sounded.
"Go to the library where only family heads can enter and look for the Miri Thunder Spear. I’ve already arranged for you to enter as a junior family head."
As always, he had prepared for the day he would be gone.
So that Jin Cheonhui could survive on his own.
Jin Cheonhui’s face twisted with emotion.
"Master."
"Don’t look at me like that. This is just the natural order of things," the master said, coughing lightly.
Thanks to Jin Cheonhui’s treatment, no blood came out this time.
The master’s long silver hair was damp with sweat.
Even though the room was heated, and he was sweating, his body was still cold.
It made Jin Cheonhui’s chest feel tight.
Jin Cheonhui channeled his internal energy into the master’s hand.
He needed to raise his body temperature. 'You overexerted yourself.
Teaching me.
Passing everything on to me.'
Every day had felt like the last, as if the master was teaching him everything he could.
Blood seeped from Jin Cheonhui’s bitten lips.
The master reached out and wiped the blood from his disciple’s mouth.
"Master, can I sleep with you tonight?"
"If it’s because of my condition..."
Jin Cheonhui shook his head.
"No, it’s not that. It’s just that when I grow up, I won’t be able to act spoiled, so I want to do it now while I can."
The master chuckled softly.
"You always manage to make me feel awkward."
It was strange.
The master, whom people whispered about as a monster, became so soft when it came to his disciple.
Jin Cheonhui laid his blanket next to the master’s bed.
He planned to pretend to sleep while keeping watch over the master all night.
'It’s better than the original story, but it’s still not enough.'
They needed to move on to the next step quickly.
As always, time wouldn’t wait.
After that, Zhuge Lin often stayed confined to the inner quarters when his condition worsened.
Even when teaching Jin Cheonhui, his coughs became more frequent.
The meaning was clear.
'His condition is worsening day by day.'
That’s how illness worked.
In the early and middle stages, one could still go about daily life, eat, and live normally.
Many didn’t even realize they were sick until it was too late.
But in the final stages, the condition deteriorated rapidly.
By now, he had lived longer than the time mentioned in the novel.
The novel didn’t specify exact dates, but it was known that after the incident at the Open Sea Sect, Zhuge Lin collapsed at the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly and never got up again, eventually passing away.
But now, things were different.