Chapter 190
Chapter 190
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 190
Chapter Title: The Upper Clarity Secret
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“Oh dear, you call that a joke?”
At the sharp retort fired with piercing eyes, Yeomyeong resumed his stern expression. The Kunlun Great Stance wasn’t a technique one could master simply by being shown the movements and told their meaning, but Yeomyeong inwardly felt satisfied with his own quick thinking.
“If that wasn’t a joke, then what was it? You called it an immortal art.”
Weoseongcheon, now thoroughly pissed off, didn’t question Yeomyeong’s sudden shoulder exercises. There was more than just the shoulder movements that seemed odd.
Stand upright, arch the back, push the hips back, bend the knees, extend both arms forward. Holding that uncomfortable posture, as if sitting on an invisible chair or saddle—that was the horse stance.
The horse stance was the foundation of all martial arts. Even before beginning internal energy cultivation, one trained body and mind through it. It was nothing but enduring, simple yet grueling. The goal was to shake off that agony and clear the mind of stray thoughts, and only after growing accustomed could one formally enter internal energy cultivation and advance to meditation in the lotus position.
In other words, any martial artist had experience with it and could perform it. How many reached a high realm yet still practiced the horse stance diligently was another question, but Weoseongcheon had done it every day unless his body was utterly incapable of moving. It was a given in the Heavenly Flower Sect, at the Righteous Heaven Academy, and even in the Black Forest. He never skipped it.
However, Weoseongcheon’s horse stance was vastly different from the ordinary. In the horse stance posture, he repeatedly tensed and relaxed the muscles throughout his body. Then, isolating muscles one by one, he tensed and relaxed them separately, awakening nerves from the periphery, twisting and untwisting his qi and blood. He had trained every muscle and meridian in his body this way for over a decade.
“You said Earth Immortals developed it, and that Immortal Yeo Dongbin of the Eight Immortals learned it from Jongrigwon. No, if you don’t want to teach it, just say so honestly. Why lie like that?”
“You rotten brat. Why would I lie?”
Yeomyeong glared at Weoseongcheon with bulging eyes. Only now did he realize why Weoseongcheon was pressing him—not for dodging a proper demonstration of the Kunlun Great Stance earlier, as he’d thought.
“If it’s not a lie, then what is it? You called it the Upper Clarity Secret, but it’s no different from the horse stance.”
“How is this the same as the horse stance in any way?”
Flustered, Yeomyeong demonstrated the Upper Clarity Secret from the beginning again.
“...The sitting and standing part is different, at least.”
That was the only difference if one had to nitpick. At Weoseongcheon’s grumbling, Yeomyeong made a pitiful face and shook his head.
“The movements aren’t what matter.”
“...Pardon?”
“As you said, the Upper Clarity Secret does resemble the horse stance. That’s because the horse stance embodies the profound principle that forms the basis of all martial arts.”
“What profound principle is there in mimicking the stance of riding a nonexistent horse?”
“If you’re clueless, at least shut your trap... tch.”
Yeomyeong clicked his tongue in disapproval, then stood with hands clasped behind his back, resuming his dignified expression.
“The reason we take the horse stance as the foundation of martial arts training is that it’s the simplest way to awaken body and mind from ignorance.”
“What does that even mean?”
“It means the body, ignorant of martial arts and qi, awakens through repeated horse stance. By maintaining and repeating an uncomfortable, unfamiliar posture, the flesh accepts suffering, and the mind grows still. Achieving this first unity of body and mind is what makes it orthodox training before entering internal energy cultivation.”
Once again, Yeomyeong spoke convincingly. Weoseongcheon held his tongue and listened. The words reminded him of long ago, when he first practiced the horse stance.
“In that sense, the Upper Clarity Secret resembles the horse stance. But it differs in that the Upper Clarity Secret is an immortal art for handling pure immortal qi, presupposing that body and mind have already awakened.”
“...Is that so?”
“Indeed. Why would I lie? It’s true that Earth Immortals developed the Upper Clarity Secret. When Yeo Dongbin of the Eight Immortals was still human, he wandered the mountains, met Jongrigwon, and was taught the Upper Clarity Secret. From that entry into the immortal path came the famous Heavenly Concealment Sword Method.”
Yeomyeong spoke in a resonant voice. Hearing Yeo Dongbin and Jongrigwon of the Eight Immortals mentioned again, Weoseongcheon could no longer feel any resentment. He cleared his throat awkwardly and glanced at Yeomyeong.
“In short, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Yeo Dongbin’s Heavenly Concealment Sword Method was born from the Upper Clarity Secret.”
“...Then how do you know the Upper Clarity Secret, Yeomyeong?”
“You punk. Sure, I’m a scoundrel who failed to become a proper immortal and abandoned the path, but I was still favored by Immortal Cheongheo, disciple of my grandmaster, the Supreme Old Lord!”
Like being a disciple of a prestigious sect in the martial world, perhaps.
“And the creation of the Upper Clarity Secret includes insights from my master, Immortal Cheongheo, and my grandmaster, the Supreme Old Lord. And you dare insult it by asking what makes the Upper Clarity Secret different from the horse stance?!”
As he spoke, his temper flared. Seeing Yeomyeong’s face flushed red, Weoseongcheon instantly grasped the situation.
“I have committed a grave rudeness.”
Weoseongcheon quickly prostrated himself and bowed his head. Looking down at him kneeling without hesitation, Yeomyeong steadied his ragged breathing.
“...Ahem. Rise.”
“Thank you.”
As expected, apologies were best made swiftly rather than late. Yeomyeong cleared his throat a few more times and composed himself.
“...Training in the Upper Clarity Secret takes the posture I showed earlier as its base and repeats it. But it’s not just physical movement. That would make it no different from the horse stance, as you said.”
“Then how should I do it?”
“Become aware of the three dantians within your body. Feel the earth through your feet planted on the ground, support the heavens with your extended arms, and bear yourself with your upright spine. Bending and rising connects the earth and heavens more closely through ‘me.’”
“...So I’m the one linking heaven and earth?”
“Exactly. The Upper Clarity Secret contains the mysteries of heaven, earth, and man. The reason I decided to teach it to you is that it suits what you possess perfectly. If you practice the Upper Clarity Secret properly, you’ll become aware of the pure immortal qi gathered in your upper dantian. Though it’s not a posture method for accumulating immortal qi, it will be a great help to you.”
“...How exactly will it help?”
It sounded plausible mentioning heaven, earth, and man, but it still didn’t feel like a true immortal art.
“There are various paths to becoming an immortal. Inner alchemy, taking in immortal qi through postures. Outer alchemy, strengthening the body with elixirs. Dual cultivation, absorbing yang or yin qi.”
“...Dual cultivation?”
“Lechers have ruined its reputation, but dual cultivation is originally one of the orthodox immortal paths.”
Weoseongcheon tried imagining the Jade Qilin, whom he’d crushed one testicle of, as an immortal, but it was impossible.
“The goal of such training is to become an immortal and achieve eternal life without death. The Upper Clarity Secret is the same.”
Yeomyeong paused briefly.
“If you master the Upper Clarity Secret properly, you can achieve eternal life without death.”
“...Is that impressive?”
“You’re misunderstanding something. Immortality without aging and eternal life without death are different. Immortality without aging means living long without growing old, but eternal life without death means living long and not dying.”
...Was there a big difference? Yeomyeong continued toward Weoseongcheon’s puzzled expression.
“If you master the Upper Clarity Secret properly, your body won’t die even from fatal wounds. Even if limbs are severed, your body split in two, your head chopped off, or your heart bursts. You won’t die.”
“...What...”
“That’s the Upper Clarity Secret. Earth Immortals who made battling demons their calling developed it so they could continue fighting no matter the injury. But don’t misunderstand. If you train properly, the Upper Clarity Secret will bring you endlessly close to undeath. But it won’t make you truly immortal.”
“...”
“Even if limbs are severed, body split, head cut off, heart exploded—you won’t die. You just won’t die. It’ll hurt enough to deserve death, agony so bad you’d wish for it. But that’s why it suits you so well.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you obtained the Dragon Jade. Innate qi is life force itself. If you can consciously wield your innate qi, you’ll regenerate even from wounds that should kill you.”
Indeed.
Weoseongcheon slowly nodded. That’s why it suited him. Endure without dying through the Upper Clarity Secret. While enduring, regenerate wounds through recovery amplified by innate qi...
‘Depends on how you use it...’
It didn’t seem as grand as expected at first, but upon reflection, it was an incredibly practical immortal art. Right now, Weoseongcheon couldn’t consciously wield his innate qi. Because he hadn’t reached the Spirit Ignition realm of the Heavenly Flower Sect.
But if he mastered the Upper Clarity Secret and attained Spirit Ignition.
He’d become a body that couldn’t die even if it wanted to. Unless his mind broke first from the pain.
* * *
Weoseongcheon didn’t know what immortal art Baek Rihyang had been taught.
The transmission of the Upper Clarity Secret ended in a single day, but Baek Rihyang hadn’t emerged from her room for days. He was extremely curious what immortal art had earned Yeomyeong’s praise,
‘Support the heavens, tread the earth.’
But he had plenty else to focus on. Under the blazing sun, Weoseongcheon stripped off his upper garment and assumed the horse stance—no, the Upper Clarity Secret posture. He squatted until his hips nearly touched the ground, then held it briefly.
‘Link heaven and earth more closely.’
Yeomyeong had told him to be aware of the three dantians. When asked what that meant, Yeomyeong had replied to realize it himself.
He sort of... got it now.
The upper dantian in the head, middle in the heart, lower in the abdomen.
One year ago, the Supreme Ultimate Sword Lord had said:
Internal energy accumulated in the lower dantian takes form when the middle opens. And when the upper opens, you can wield not internal energy, but will, in your sword.
Once the middle dantian opens, you enter true qi. Open the upper, and a divine spirit inhabits the human body, entering the divine realm.
The Supreme Ultimate Sword Lord wasn’t an immortal. But Wudang was founded by Immortal Jang Sambong, the last immortal, and all Wudang Taoists hoped to ascend someday. Thus, his words carried Taoist mysteries.
‘Open the upper dantian to enter the divine realm. Then is the Heavenly Gate the path to immortality?’
No.
The Supreme Ultimate Sword Lord had said opening the Heavenly Gate allows transcending the divine as a human.
Be aware of the three dantians. Circulating heaven, earth, and man, Weoseongcheon emptied his mind. The sea. He recalled his first plunge into the ocean. This place wasn’t underwater. No massive currents like then existed here.
But flows existed here too. The world brimmed with qi invisible to the eye.
Feet... below. Lower dantian. Though clearly standing on the ground, Weoseongcheon felt a plummeting sensation as if the earth had collapsed, dropping him into a thousand-fathom abyss. No, different. His feet were firmly on the ground. This... this was.
‘Upside down.’
His feet still touched the earth.
When he lowered his body. Weoseongcheon understood the falling sensation. I’ve become the earth, plummeting from the lofty heavens.
He rose again. His spine bent like a bow, bones and muscles creaking in screams. The endlessly high sky felt heavy. His feet still planted on the earth. Rooted.
‘The upper dantian hasn’t opened yet.’
The middle had, but it was hard to endure. Lower dantian for earth, middle for self, upper for heaven. Thus, heaven-earth-man.
‘Unite them in one body. Awareness of self within self. Not... easy.’
He could hold earth in the lower dantian. Self in the middle was difficult; heaven in the upper was impossible, not just hard. Because it wasn’t fully open.
Yet not meaningless. With repetition, he felt his dragon vein stirring. Without Reverse Flow or Awakening. The dragon vein reacted to the Upper Clarity Secret training. A profoundly strange sensation.
‘Frustrating...’
Impatience boiled over.
How, just a bit more—no, much more? What more to do to draw immortal qi from beyond the dragon vein in the upper dantian? It felt on the verge but wouldn’t come. Should he try Awakening and Reverse Flow?
...Was that allowed?
“Are you trying to build up your glutes or what?”
A gruff voice and a sharp slap on the hip shattered his focus.