Connections (4)
“…What wind has blown into you?”
[Outsiders need not know. If you do not understand, shut your mouth.]
“….”
Irritation flared for a moment, yet both Seo Ran and Song Jin clearly placed some measure of trust in one another. I nodded.
“First, allow me to offer my congratulations.”
“I can only thank Senior once more, and again.”
“Enough. Seeing Seo Do-u joyful puts my own mind at ease. It seems I have carried out the Dragon King’s errand well.”
Seo Ran smiled faintly and spoke to me.
“If there ever comes a day when you require my aid, please call upon me without hesitation. Everything I possess is thanks to Senior. I will grant any request of yours up to three times, no matter what.”
“I will gratefully accept your goodwill.”
Seo Ran bowed to me. Song Jin glared at me with a sullen expression before speaking.
[In any case, since you helped my disciple, I too shall repay you as his master. If there is something you desire, I will grant three requests.]
“Three requests…”
I pointed first at my upper dantian.
“Could you perhaps remove the mental restriction placed upon my upper dantian?”
[Hm?]
Song Jin studied me and asked.
[Who placed a mental restriction on you? It cannot be the Dragon King or someone of that level, I hope. I cannot undo a restriction cast by a Heavenly Being.]
“No. It was a man called Won Rip, the Blood Wood Daoist. Do you know of him?”
[Ah…]
Song Jin nodded.
[I know him. Is he not the Core Formation cultivator who dwells in the Dabcheon Desert and possesses an unusual Dharma treasure? Lacking the talent to reach Nascent Soul, he clings to life by force-feeding himself pills as his lifespan runs out.]
“An unusual Dharma treasure?”
[Yes. A black castle-shaped treasure. I do not know its exact name, but within that castle its master can display strength beyond his realm. Core Formation Great Circle gains Nascent Soul strength. Early Nascent Soul gains mid-stage power. Mid-stage Nascent Soul gains late-stage power. It is a powerful treasure that allows one to surpass their cultivation realm, making that Core Formation brat rather famous among Heavenly Beings.]
A chill ran down my spine.
‘If I had gone straight to Won Rip in the Dabcheon Desert last time…’
I would have had to face Won Rip wielding Nascent Soul strength inside that black castle.
‘Good that I did not go.’
I breathed a small sigh of relief inwardly and asked.
“Why have the Heavenly Being seniors not coveted such an extraordinary treasure?”
[Ah, that…]
Song Jin clicked his tongue.
[Because it is useless to anyone at the Heavenly Being stage or above. Moreover, that treasure is a powerful immortal artifact carrying the pull of destiny. Once obtained, the attraction makes ascending through the tribulation far more perilous. That is why no one bothers to touch it. Though I have heard rumors that the Dragon King, oddly enough, was searching for it.]
“Hmm…”
‘So the reason the Blood Wood Daoist destroyed Bongmyeong Castle to find the Bongmyeongin was also because of that black castle…’
“Regardless, the mental restriction on me was placed by that man called Won Rip, the Blood Wood Daoist. Can you perhaps dismantle it?”
[Let me see. To know what kind of restriction it is, I will have to pour my consciousness into your upper dantian.]
“And how do I know you will not do something to my consciousness under that pretext?”
[This brat… Even if I have fallen to the state of a remnant soul, do you take me for someone without shame…!]
I stared at him for a moment before speaking.
“Can you swear upon the Seopmyeong Ship that you will not harm me?”
[Fine. Upon the Seopmyeong Ship, I, Song Jin, swear I will not harm you. Satisfied!?]
“Hmm. Good.”
I nodded and cautiously allowed him access to my upper dantian.
Song Jin’s chilling consciousness seeped into my consciousness domain.
After some time, his consciousness brushed past the Ohaeng Hyeoljubeon inside my upper dantian.
Having observed the flag for a while, his consciousness withdrew. Song Jin opened his mouth.
[If I were still alive, I could have studied it for about a month and dismantled it.]
“Those words mean…”
[It will be somewhat difficult now. You said it was a restriction placed by Won Rip? That fellow possesses strength on the level of a Nascent Soul cultivator. With my current power, it is not easy.]
“I see…”
[However.]
Song Jin folded his arms and spoke.
The ghostly form covering his face dissolved, revealing his skull-like visage.
[I can teach you a method to seize control of the restriction yourself. Even if this method is slow, it will allow you to steadily undo the restriction. Once it is completely removed, you may even refine the restriction into your own unique art.]
“Oh? What method is it?”
[It is a consciousness art called Iljeongbeop, the One Emotion Method. You endlessly concentrate on a single emotion, understand it, and dye the mental restriction with that emotion until it belongs to you.]
Woo-woong!
Song Jin tore off a broken piece of the Seopmyeong Ship and inscribed the mantra of the One Emotion Method upon it before handing it to me.
[Here. I have not played any tricks, so take it. Now speak the remaining two requests.]
“Hmm. Thank you.”
I scanned the mantra of the One Emotion Method with my consciousness and then requested a technique from him.
‘Between the Gunma Yonggaenggwon and the Gyutojangseonggong, which would be better?’
After a moment’s thought, I asked for the Gyutojangseonggong.
[Gyutojangseonggong, is it… It is quite difficult to master. Are you certain?]
“It does not matter.”
[Hmm. If mastered, it is a technique that can move dragon veins, leaving one without equal. Yet it is an art that requires one to remain fixed in a single place and comprehend the land. It belongs to the difficult-to-understand “enlightenment after understanding” category, and its power plummets the moment one leaves the original location. It is half a technique at best…]
“Does that not also mean that if one remains fixed in the original location, its power surges dramatically?”
I recalled my past life.
‘In any case, I will likely be holed up in either Deungsunhyang or Bongmyeong Castle. It would be better to learn Gyutojangseonggong and focus on defending a city.’
[Well, if that is what you want.]
Song Jin handed over the mantra of Gyutojangseonggong once more.
[Do you have a final request?]
“The final request is…”
I looked at Song Jin and pointed at Seo Ran.
“Please teach Seo Do-u well. That will suffice.”
[…]
Seo Ran had already promised to help me. There was no need to squeeze every last thing out of Song Jin.
Song Jin appeared surprised. After a moment of visible confusion, he spoke.
[That is only natural. That request is something I must do anyway, so I will consider it void and grant you a separate favor later.]
“Thank you.”
I bowed to Song Jin and rose from my seat.
Seo Ran’s matter had been resolved satisfactorily. According to what was written in the One Emotion Method, the problem of the Ohaeng Hyeoljubeon would be completely solved in roughly thirty to forty years.
‘What remains now…’
…was a way to extend Kim Young-hoon’s lifespan.
I recalled the framework of the secret art Won Rip had used.
‘I have grasped the broad outline.’
Now I needed to re-establish the detailed method myself and see whether I could make the Longevity Fruit bloom.
What I needed first was immense power.
I required strength comparable to the boundless vitality of the Core Formation cultivators Won Rip had absorbed.
Immense power.
‘What options do I have…’
Suddenly, my thoughts turned to the Gyutojangseonggong I had just received.
A technique that, given time, would eventually allow me to handle dragon veins.
‘If it is a dragon vein…’
I stared at the Gyutojangseonggong.
‘Could I refine the enormous power of a dragon vein through Won Rip’s art and make the Longevity Fruit bloom?’
The vast power of nature flowing through the land might be comparable to the vitality of tens of thousands of people.
‘Of course, it is close to a delusion.’
It was a far-fetched idea.
If such a thing were so easily possible, why would demonic sects or human elixirs exist in this world?
Still.
‘Right now, I must plan even such an absurd art.’
Even if something seemed impossible, I had to invest and invest again until I carved out a new path.
And to do that, what I needed was…
‘Formations, and knowledge.’
New knowledge.
And if it was knowledge concerning formations…
‘The three great figures of the Qi Condensation stage. Makri Unryeon of pill refinement. Gong Myocheon of artifacts. And Cheongmun Ryeong of formations.’
I would have to go see Cheongmun Ryeong.
* * *
Having received Gyutojangseonggong from Song Jin, I left the Black Wind Sea and returned to where Kim Young-hoon was waiting.
“You have grown again in just these few days…”
Kim Young-hoon had already taken another step closer to Five Qi Consorting with the Origin.
“Yes. Since words do not reach them, I focused more on reading the intentions of the people here, and my realm in Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown rose.”
I clicked my tongue at his growth speed.
No matter how simply I had explained Five Qi Consorting with the Origin, he was already nearing that realm.
‘He may reach the realm even faster than expected.’
After a moment’s thought, I spoke to him.
“Kim hyung, how about we part ways soon?”
“What? What are you suddenly saying?”
“From what I see, your growth is much faster when you internalize and apply insights on your own rather than simply accepting the enlightenment I have organized and fed to you. I have already taught you everything up to Five Qi Consorting with the Origin, as well as the insights of Wol-do-ip-cheon from Deungbongjogeuk onward, have I not?”
“You have.”
“Then from now on, try reaching Wol-do-ip-cheon by living in this world on your own.”
Given his temperament, clashing with the world and testing himself would bring him to the realm far faster than following me around.
He seemed taken aback, yet after my continued persuasion he eventually nodded and agreed.
I parted ways with Kim Young-hoon, asked him to eliminate the emperor of Yeon Kingdom and the Makri clan later, then left Yeon Kingdom and headed for the Cheongmun Clan in Byeokra Kingdom.
* * *
‘If I go straight to the Cheongmun Clan’s main house, the clan will be startled…’
Originally, the main houses of capital clans were known to those who needed to know, but on the surface they were secret.
Cultivators at Core Formation and above—family heads and elder-level—could visit another clan’s main house directly without it being discourteous.
However, elders at the Qi Condensation stage were expected, as basic courtesy, to pass through a clan’s territory unless they carried the family head’s direct command.
Of course, my actual strength was at the Core Formation level, but my outwardly displayed cultivation was at the very early stage of Qi Condensation. I decided to act accordingly.
Tuwoong!
I arrived at the Cheongmun Clan’s territory and stimulated the formation barrier covering it with a spell.
The barrier reacted briefly to my pure spiritual force. Shortly afterward, a Qi Condensation twelfth-star cultivator emerged.
“I am Cheongmun Jeon, a junior of the Cheongmun Clan. Which senior from which clan might you be?”
He asked politely with proper courtesy. I answered.
“I am a wandering cultivator. I heard that your clan’s cultivator Cheongmun Ryeong is one of the three great figures of the Qi Condensation stage and possesses deep insight into formations. I have come to consult with him.”
“Ah! You have come to see him. Please wait a moment. I will contact the elders of the territory.”
He took out a sound-transmitting artifact from his robe, infused it with spiritual power, and relayed the reason for my visit.
A short while later.
A Qi Condensation cultivator emerged from within the territory and welcomed me.
“Haha, this one is called Cheongmun Dan.”
True to the typical Cheongmun Clan cultivator, he was a burly giant with bulging muscles. He guided me to his residence inside the territory.
“I am grateful that a distinguished guest has visited the Cheongmun Clan. I heard you wish to meet Cheongmun Ryeong hyung-nim. You wish to consult him regarding formations?”
“That is correct.”
“May I ask for your name?”
“I am called Seo Eun-hyun. Please call me Seo cultivator.”
“Understood, Seo cultivator. Haha, for a talent like Seo cultivator to come seeking my hyung-nim to ask about formations is an honor for our clan as well. Since such a distinguished guest has arrived, I will report to the main house and let you know. For now, let us drink tea and wait at our leisure.”
Cheongmun Dan treated me, a fellow Qi Condensation cultivator, as an equal guest and showed me utmost hospitality. While drinking tea with him, we shared various conversations.
There was little to discuss regarding cultivation methods, but the Cheongmun Clan was a warlike house deeply interested in combat. He and I exchanged battle experiences and talked at length.
Several days later, I was invited to the Cheongmun Clan’s main house and was finally able to meet Cheongmun Ryeong in person once more.
* * *
Cheongmun Clan main house.
A certain guest room within.
Creak!
The sliding door opened, and a stern-looking old man with a goatee entered.
I rose from my seat and greeted him respectfully.
“Hello. I have long heard of your reputation.”
“Hello. There is no need for excessive courtesy. What is the point between fellow cultivators of the same level… I shall call you Seo cultivator. You may call me Cheongmun cultivator.”
Looking at the man who had once been my teacher in a past life, I forced my mouth open with an expression that was neither quite a smile nor quite tears.
“Understood… Cheongmun… cultivator.”
My teacher had appeared before me as Cheongmun cultivator.