Chapter 523
Hot. The Scorching Yang Energy surged from my Dantian, spreading through my limbs and coursing through my meridians. Everything felt still yet vividly clear.
I circulated my Qi along the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
Once, twice, three times…
Qi circulation and breathing techniques were like rolling a snowball down a hill. The more I repeated, the larger it grew.
However, impurities—dirt, stones, twigs—could get mixed in.
These impurities were Turbid Qi, which disrupted the purity of my Qi. By continuously circulating my Qi, I could burn away the Turbid Qi and refine my internal energy to perfection.
‘More, more, more.’
I murmured to myself, as if entranced, and continued my Qi circulation.
The vast amount of energy, accumulated over three Jiazi, took the form of a Flame Dragon, freely swimming through my body.
Within my envisioned state, the Flame Dragon grew larger, and its heat burned ever fiercer.
Then, I realized—
‘Now.’
Whoosh!
At my will, the Scorching Yang Energy erupted outward. An overwhelming surge of heat—it felt as if a miniature sun had exploded within me.
My tightly shut eyes burned, and from my nose, it felt as though flames rather than breath were escaping.
No, it wasn’t just a feeling—it was real.
Like water overflowing when there is too much, the immense Qi filling my body was spilling out.
Through my eyes, nose, mouth—the seven orifices known as the Seven Apertures—the heat surged forth, raising the external temperature.
Even the countless pores covering my body were exhaling heat.
Ssssssshhhhh…
I felt it. The massive flow of energy gathering at my crown. At the same time, in my mind’s eye, a blank canvas unfolded, and I began to paint upon it.
I am my own master. Every single meridian in my body, every thread of Qi escaping me—they all belong to me. They cannot defy their owner’s will.
Though I couldn’t see it, I could feel it—the Yeoryangjiqi gathering above my head, taking the shape I commanded.
One, two, three.
Like burning petals, three crimson flames bloomed—Three Flowers Gather at the Crown.
This was the result of attaining enlightenment atop an extreme state.
This alone was already a dreamlike realm sought after by every martial artist under the heavens, yet I had merely climbed over a single hill.
Hoo…
A short exhale escaped my lips, carrying the last remnants of Turbid Qi that had been filtered out through my Qi circulation.
With even the final traces of impurities expelled, my Qi and mind were completely cleansed, ready for the next peak.
‘Five Qi Converging to the Origin.’
Even after opening my Middle Dantian, I had attempted it several times, but I had never been able to achieve it.
The next wall standing in my way.
‘I will surpass it. Right now.’
A firm resolve surged from within, sending a faint tremor through my chest.
I couldn’t let go of this tension now. Blindly smashing into the wall with my fists wouldn’t break it—I’d only injure myself.
If I wanted to even put a single crack in it, I had to maintain my focus and precisely read the flow of Qi.
‘A single moment of carelessness, and my Qi could backflow.’
Walking a path already paved was easy.
But this was different—I was forging my own path. Clearing away boulders, cutting through overgrown brush. Climbing sheer cliffs where a single misstep meant falling.
A Qi backflow would lead to internal injuries, and if I recklessly pressed on despite those injuries, I’d end up in Qi Deviation.
According to Jeok Cheon-Gang, countless martial artists had died or ended up crippled in such a way.
I had no intention of being confined to a wheelchair while Dark Heaven was busy dumping chaos upon the martial world.
‘Slowly. Carefully.’
Thankfully, my training with Moon Kyung had helped immensely.
The Scorching Yang Energy, cultivated through the Flame God Divine Art—the core technique of the Fiery Flame Sect—was stronger and more explosive than most other orthodox sects’ internal arts. But that also meant its movements were rougher and more uncontrollable.
However, through this training, I had managed to smooth out some of its flaws.
‘I can do this. As long as I stay focused, it’s possible.’
Heat pulsed above my head, the Three Flowers Gather at the Crown flickering. But I wasn’t worried—Qi was always faster than the hands.
‘First, the first loop…’
Just as I carefully began to maneuver my Qi—
“Cease your Qi cultivation. You’re wasting your effort for nothing.”
Crack!
The unexpected voice shattered my concentration.
The Qi forming the shape of Five Qi Converging to the Origin instantly scattered.
At the same time—Qi backflow.
A violent surge erupted within me, forcing me to retch up a wave of acid from the depths of my stomach.
“Uggghhh!!”
Splat!
A small amount of blood mixed with vomit splattered onto the ground.
Damn it, this looks like Niagara Falls in real life.
As I gasped for breath, the remnants of my breakfast lay before me, as if waving goodbye.
“Urgh… Wraaagh!”
This—this was just too much.
After vomiting several more times, I finally regained my senses and turned my sharp glare toward the owner of the leather shoes standing at a distance.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Moon Kyung calmly studied his leather shoes before answering.
“They’re only three days old. Wouldn’t want them to get dirty.”
“Why are you speaking to me in the middle of Qi circulation and breathing?”
“I didn’t even shake you. What’s the problem? If you’ve reached that level, but a few words can still break your Inner Calm, then the fault is yours.”
“You startled me!”
“I was startled too. What the hell did you eat yesterday to throw up this much…?”
Moon Kyung frowned as he looked at the puddle of vomit splattered on the floor.
“The more I look at it, the filthier it seems. But judging by its shape, it vaguely resembles the form of Five Qi Converging to the Origin.”
“Hey, Moon Kyung!”
“What, Moon Kyung?”
I met Moon Kyung’s cold gaze head-on without flinching.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Alright, that should be enough.
“My words came out wrong. I must have suffered severe internal injuries.”
“…Just looking at you makes my Qi Sea Point ache.”
Avoiding his now-chilled gaze, I quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, why are you here all of a sudden? No—before that, how did you even get in here?”
“Why do you think doors exist?”
“But the door was being guarded by Mu Jin, so—”
I trailed off mid-sentence.
Slllide… THUMP!
Through the slightly open doorway, a body suddenly collapsed onto the floor.
That back of the head—it was unmistakable. My eyes widened instinctively.
“Mu Jin! Hyeok Mu-jin!”
As I let out a sharp cry, Moon Kyung spoke in a chilling voice.
“Leave him. Even if you shake him, he won’t wake up.”
He won’t wake up?
This bloodthirsty demon has finally done it, huh?
Fury surged through me as I roared,
“You heartless murderer! You absolute butcher!”
“He was sleeping while guarding the door, so I tried to wake him. But he wouldn’t budge—wait, what did you just say?”
“…Huh?”
“I asked, what did you just say?”
“Uh—”
Just then, right on cue, Hyeok Mu-jin’s corpse—no, his body—shifted.
Accompanied by the sound of a powerful snore.
Snorrrreeeee.
A wordless stare-off ensued in midair.
With a dazzling smile, I finally spoke.
“I believe there was a very minor, tiny misunderstanding.”
Moon Kyung, his face devoid of expression, replied.
“It didn’t seem like a misunderstanding. Nor was it tiny.”
“But wouldn’t you agree that it’s better to let things slide?”
“You mean, like how the dead stay dead?”
“O…h. That’s… quite a perspective.”
“It’s not impossible. You got a problem with it?”
I had plenty of problems. My eardrum also seemed to be having issues, but I lacked the courage to point that out.
“…I apologize.”
“Does apologizing fix everything?”
“I firmly believe that a sincere conversation can resolve all grievances.”
“Great. Then go have a chat with the Dark Heaven’s Heavenly Lord and see if that works. Before I rip that annoying grin off your face.”
“The ancestors have said, ‘One cannot spit on a smiling face.'”
Ptooey.
Splat.
…Hm. Seems the ancestors were wrong.
But moments like these called for Inner Calm. I wiped the spit off my cheek gracefully.
“Impressive speed. I almost thought it was a hidden weapon.”
“If I imbued Qi into my spit, I could pop a man’s eyeball.”
“Fascinating. Are you, by chance, a Zerg?”
“I’m the Grim Reaper.”
“…Once again, I sincerely apologize.”
Moon Kyung narrowed his eyes at me as if calculating how many pieces I needed to be chopped into for people to say I was properly dead. Then, he clicked his tongue.
“Enough. Every time I talk to you, my energy drains.”
That’s my line. I could feel my lifespan shrinking by the second.
I’d bet Hyeok Mu-jin’s left ventricle that I just lost at least three years off my life.
‘That bastard Hyeok Mu-jin was supposed to be standing guard, and yet he’s already knocked out again…’
Between Moon Kyung and Hyeok Mu-jin, it was honestly hard to say who was worse.
“So… why are you here?”
“That question sounded like, ‘What stupid thing are you planning this time?'”
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
“Oh… no, I was just curious.”
“Strange. I could swear your pronunciation just got weird.”
“It’s just your imagination.”
Moon Kyung let out a quiet sigh and tossed something at me.
Thud.
I reflexively caught it and blinked.
“What is this?”
“A Danwan.”
“A Danwan?”
What is he, a springtime Santa Claus? Why the sudden gift?
Half-doubting, I unwrapped the bundle and found a small wooden box inside.
A peculiar fragrance seeped deep into my nostrils.
This was…
Medicinal elixirs like Danwan were said to reveal their potency even before being seen.
This was exactly that kind of situation.
Click.
I opened the wooden box, revealing a single red pill.
One look was enough to tell me it was no ordinary item.
As I stared blankly at the Danwan, I lifted my gaze toward Moon Kyung.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m just wondering why you’re giving me this all of a sudden.”
“You have a considerable amount of Fire Qi. It will be useful for you.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Are your ears clogged? Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“No, I wasn’t asking about its effects—”
Before I could finish, Moon Kyung’s expression twisted.
It was an unusually expressive reaction for someone who usually wore a cold, unreadable face.
“I picked it up.”
“Correction—I saw it on the way here and bought it. Satisfied?”
Satisfied? Hell no.
I reached out and touched the Danwan inside the box.
[Item Inspection.]
Ding!
– [Moon Kyung’s Specially Crafted Danwan, Customized for Jin Taekyung] –
– Would you like to view detailed information?
No. No, that’s plenty of information.
I closed the system window and shot Moon Kyung a lukewarm look.
“Saw it on the way and bought it. Ah, yes. That makes perfect sense.”
“…What’s with that look?”
“Nothing. Anyway, I’ll accept it with gratitude.”
Right now, my feelings toward Moon Kyung were exactly half gratitude, half terror.
‘It’s great that he gave me such a high-quality Danwan, but… what kind of hellish training is coming next? This feels way too much like feeding a death-row inmate a final meal…’
As if sensing the meaning behind my trembling gaze, Moon Kyung finally spoke.
