Master’s Benevolence (1)
“Hmm?”
Changhoza looked at Seo Eun-hyun with bright eyes.
From Seo Eun-hyun’s body flowed an eerie aura completely unlike the body-refining technique of the Changcheon Gaebyeokmun.
Of course, as Changhoza, he had no reason to suspect its source.
After all, the man before him had only just reached the Qi Condensation realm, yet he had single-handedly killed several opponents.
Perhaps he had cultivated some obscure technique unknown even to Changhoza, or possessed a special ability.
‘Hmm?’
But then Changhoza sensed a chilling energy from Seo Eun-hyun.
The very aura he had longed to avoid in his dreams.
‘Goe-gun!?’
Changhoza shivered.
The power emanating from Seo Eun-hyun matched the eerie force he had sensed from Goe-gun’s puppets.
‘He did say something strange to Goe-gun last time… A spy for Goe-gun? No, that’s impossible. Even a madman like Goe-gun wouldn’t send a spy. He lacks the sanity…’
Swish…
Before Changhoza could pursue his suspicions, the eerie aura from Seo Eun-hyun vanished.
‘…Must have been a hallucination.’
Kugugugugu!
The force emanating from Seo Eun-hyun was clearly the body-refining technique! He shook his head and gazed at his disciple.
‘Even if he had truly learned Goe-gun’s technique, so what.’
After all, he was already one of his disciples.
Since he had declared it himself, the master needed to trust his disciple and watch over him.
Changhoza made that decision and looked at the two disciples who had just reached the Foundation Establishment realm.
* * *
Uuuung!
He began to control the qi and temper the mind.
The starting point was nothingness.
From there, he recalled his days as a three-star martial artist.
The moment he first held a sword.
I was a three-star martial artist at that instant.
And then the next moment.
I, who had only ever known emptiness, tempered myself further.
From three-star to two-star martial artist.
From two-star to one-star martial artist.
‘Reaching the peak realm!’
Paaat!
As the mind was tempered, I reached the peak realm.
Beyond that lay the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.
Paaat!
As the mind awakened, countless martial intents appeared in my field of vision.
‘Reaching the Five Qi Consorting with the Origin.’
The martial intents intertwined, finally merging into one and forming an consciousness domain.
In the lower realms, reaching the Five Qi Consorting with the Origin would have rendered the martial intents meaningless.
But after repeated sparring with Changhoza and fleeing from my senior brothers several times, I realized otherwise.
After forming the consciousness domain, I thought I could directly read opponents’ movements from it.
But the very method of “reading” those movements was possible through the martial intents, and moreover, the consciousness domain was better suited for battlefield analysis or spell preparation.
Using the martial intents purely during combat was also an acceptable approach.
Changhoza, too, had undoubtedly realized this through actual combat and made excellent use of the martial intents.
After all, both I and the opponent possessed consciousness domains, so the one who perceived the most would win in battle.
Among the countless martial intents, the route optimized for me stood out clearly.
The route optimized for the opponent shone especially brightly within the consciousness domain.
I carefully shattered the unified consciousness domain into individual martial intents and observed them separately.
Countless martial intents seemed to sweep across the entire world.
And I analyzed them coldly from Goe-gun’s Strange Star-Mind Scroll perspective.
The powers of the martial intents, their thoughts and emotions subtly influencing the Heaven and Earth qi, were analyzed before the Strange Star-Mind Scroll.
And while analyzing the martial intents I emitted and those emitted from around me, I began to approach the Deungbongjogeuk realm.
Uuuung!
Inside the body.
Within the dantian, Gangwhan were formed.
But they were not expelled to the outside; instead, they began to disintegrate inside the dantian.
They did not transform into the formless sword as usual.
Instead, under the influence of the Strange Star-Mind Scroll, the Gangwhan scattered across my body as [Goe-gun’s circuits].
Before they could manifest as the formless sword, I infused their qi throughout my entire body by my will, arranging them like circuits.
If these circuits were laid on a puppet, they would cause considerable strain.
That was why Goe-gun had turned healthy humans into puppets without hesitation.
But for me right now, it was fine.
Wuduk, wuddeudeuk!
My entire body suddenly erupted with qi like armor.
I then crushed the Gangwhan circuits I had laid down and infused the qi accumulated from the body-refining technique directly into those circuits.
Kugugugugu!
Through the circuits, an aura identical to that of a normal body-refining master erupted.
‘Not yet.’
Simultaneously, following the patterns of the martial intents I had analyzed with the Strange Star-Mind Scroll, I naturally infused those martial intents into the circuits.
At the same time, I used the Wansuigungmurok to ensure that no one could detect anything strange even if the martial intents flowed toward me.
Martial arts, puppet technique, body-refining technique.
Three fields integrated into one—something no one who had not mastered all three could even attempt!
I had laid the circuits of a living biological puppet upon my own body.
‘No enlightenment from the Four Pillars era.’
Of course.
Back then, the “General Seo” was nothing more than armor.
Even if one had manipulated something equivalent to the Heaven and Earth qi for a thousand years, it would still be Heaven and Earth qi.
No enlightenment regarding any realm could be gained from it.
But.
‘Even so, having manipulated it for a thousand years means one can see the very principles behind it.’
Uuuung!
I understood how the circuits of Goe-gun’s puppet technique could produce greater power.
How they could unleash tremendous force with seemingly weak power.
That much I could grasp.
Kugugugugu!
Through the circuits, the qi of my body began to rise sharply.
Of course, the Four Pillars realm was out of reach.
But.
‘The Foundation Establishment mid-stage power…’
Was pushing toward the absolute peak of the Foundation Establishment realm!
This was the limit reachable by utilizing the realms of puppet technique, body-refining technique, and Deungbongjogeuk.
But here, I had to reach the Woldoipcheon realm without arousing any suspicion.
‘The moment the Gangwhan were crushed inside the body and transformed into circuits.’
The circuits were currently filled with the qi of the body-refining technique, so from the outside it looked exactly like the body-refining technique.
‘Without revealing the martial arts… reaching the Woldoipcheon realm!’
Kugugugugu!
Sharpness began to gather on my entire body.
The process of the crushed Gangwhan circuits transforming into the formless sword.
But the formless sword still retained the shape of Goe-gun’s circuits, and the power of the body-refining technique swirled inside it.
Because it was amplifying the circuits of Goe-gun’s puppet technique, the very nature of the formless sword was completely buried beneath the power of the body-refining technique!
‘Now the last step…’
I carefully began to approach the Woldoipcheon realm.
Right after regression, I had hidden the Woldoipcheon realm without being discovered, and since then I had not deliberately raised my body to that level, fearing it might be exposed.
But today.
Uuuuuung!
‘Today, I can once again reach that state.’
Perhaps it would be possible without worry for the rest of my life.
Light surged from my entire body, as if the light between Heaven and Earth was being concentrated upon me.
The power of the Five Elements Consorting with the Origin from my entire body was constantly amplified and unleashed through the circuits of Goe-gun’s puppet technique that had become the formless sword.
Sring!
And the form of the unleashed power settled according to my will.
At the same time, the power took the form of a sword.
As if a five-colored sword enveloped my body.
Finally.
‘Reaching the Woldoipcheon realm!’
Kiiing!
It looked dazzling on the surface, but the unique feeling given by the martial intent fused with the formless sword was completely concealed within the power of the body-refining technique.
In that state, I gathered the clouds of qi that rotated inside my dantian and began to form a star inside it.
Kugugugugu!
A five-colored star was born inside the dantian.
As the Heavenly qi changed, my lifespan began to increase.
At the same time, the clouds of the heavenly kitchen stove grew thicker, occasionally spurting blue flashes.
“Haaaah!”
Beside me, Oh Hyun-seok shouted as he reached the Foundation Establishment realm.
Simultaneously, a blue bolt of lightning fell beside me and struck him down.
Kugugugugu!
But.
“Is this lightning nothing compared to the master’s hand?”
Oh Hyun-seok clenched his qi in his fist and shot straight into the sky.
Kwaaaang!
The blue flash from his fist shattered the lightning and continued flying into the sky, piercing the storm clouds.
Watching that, I no longer hesitated and fully reached the Foundation Establishment realm.
My lifespan completely changed as the heavenly lightning struck down toward me.
And I raised my hand.
Flash!
I too was a fist.
The five-colored light gathered in my fist shot toward the lightning.
But the five-colored light did not destroy the lightning like Oh Hyun-seok’s; instead, it sliced through it and advanced into the sky.
And.
Chwaaak!
The lightning and the kitchen stove clouds were sliced straight by my fist, carving a massive sword scar into the sky.
“Huuu…”
I smiled as I read the Heavenly qi visible beyond the clouds.
It was no longer possible, as before, to slice through opponents with the power of the formless sword.
Revealing the full power of the Woldoipcheon realm would make it possible, but in my current state where the Woldoipcheon realm was hidden inside the body-refining technique and Goe-gun’s circuits, it was impossible.
But.
Kugugugugu!
The space where Oh Hyun-seok had thrust his fist was merely clear, while the space where I had struck was strangely rippling.
A strike equivalent to the Nascent Soul realm!
That was it.
Through the method of engraving the formless sword with the body-refining technique, martial arts, and Goe-gun’s circuits on my body, I could instantly unleash a strike equivalent to the Nascent Soul realm.
I looked carefully at the sky.
The lifespan increase given by the Woldoipcheon realm, which I had discovered during the Seven-Star Ceremony in my previous life.
‘When reaching the Woldoipcheon realm, lifespan increases by forty-nine years.’
Compared to the Way of the Water Qi that directly altered the Heavenly qi or the Way of the Water Qi that indirectly changed it by maximizing vitality, the martial arts themselves did not alter the Heavenly qi or maximize life force.
No, they made one healthy and vigorous, but not to the point of affecting the Heavenly qi.
Rather, because the martial arts had grown so powerful, the incidental increase in life force became stronger than necessary, slightly altering the Heavenly qi.
Perhaps Kim Young-hoon, who would have reached the Woldoipcheon realm in the lower realm, would also gain over fifty years of lifespan.
Moreover, he would likely eat one or two Jangsaenggwa fruits, so his lifespan would increase by more than two hundred fifty years.
I could not confirm the realm above Woldoipcheon, but his lifespan would increase a little more.
I had known since my previous life, but it seemed there had been few opportunities to think about it separately while constantly aiming for the Woldoipcheon realm.
For Kim Young-hoon, would two hundred fifty years of time be enough?
In my previous life, even after a thousand years had passed, I had not heard any news of him.
Of course, since he was the body of one of Goe-gun’s puppets treated as a public figure in the Gwanghan realm, information flow would not be normal.
The Ascension Gate did not open exactly once every thousand years, so who knew.
‘Perhaps, if only given enough time, he could reach the extreme.’
I could worry for the other comrades, but not for him.
I gathered the qi of my body and thought.
‘I can now manifest the Woldoipcheon realm by hiding it within Goe-gun’s circuits and the body-refining technique. Of course, attacks that cross realms cannot be used until the Woldoipcheon realm is further revealed, but the martial power of my body itself has reached the Nascent Soul realm.’
I organized my thoughts.
‘Now I can start carrying out the sect mission and meet the other comrades…’
And at that moment, I was lost in thought.
Kwaaaang!
Before I could react, a red martial intent struck my face and a fist the size of a pot lid punched my face without giving me time to dodge.
“Kweeeeok!”
I vomited blood and floated into the air.
A strike so fast there was no time to dodge or react!
And Changhoza’s boisterous voice echoed across the surroundings.
Kugugugugu!
[Now that you’ve reached the Foundation Establishment realm, your lifelines have become a little tougher. Let’s train ‘properly,’ disciples!]
I shook off the blood on my face, only to see that Oh Hyun-seok had already flown far away.
Buung!
Simultaneously, without even a gap to check the body that had reached the Foundation Establishment realm, Changhoza rose above me.
He clasped his hands together, raised both fists high, then slammed them down toward my abdomen.
[Exciting training time!]
While reading his martial intent and his mind, his voice came through his intent.
— After reaching the Foundation Establishment realm, you’ll be fine even if you hit hard, right!?
“Wait… ”
Kwaaaang!