Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Gathering Qi
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There was one stroke of misfortune for Mo Yong-jeong of the Wan Island Sect as he prepared for his Heavenly Gathering Qi: the existence of Yi Yuk-gyeong.
How could a mere person be a misfortune?
Because he showed up right when Mo Yong-jeong was in the middle of fine-tuning the formation and couldn't move.
"Who goes there!"
"Uh, hello?"
Yuk-gyeong waved cheerfully at Mo Yong-jeong in greeting.
Mo Yong-jeong took one look at Yuk-gyeong's robes and knew he was a disciple of the Radiant Moon Sect. At least he wasn't from the Blood River Sect—that was a relief.
"Radiant Moon Sect? Get lost! This isn't a place for you!"
Yuk-gyeong could tell Mo Yong-jeong was from the Wan Island Sect as well.
And that he was somehow stuck in place, busy with something.
Indeed, Mo Yong-jeong couldn't move.
The formation adjustment he was performing was far too delicate a task to pause even for a moment, release his hands, and resume. Stopping now would ruin everything he'd done so far.
So all Mo Yong-jeong could do was bark at the Radiant Moon Sect disciple to make him leave.
Yuk-gyeong had no intention of attacking a Wan Island Sect disciple who clearly couldn't move.
It was just a mid-tier sect anyway. He might need to cooperate with them later if he ran into Blood River Sect disciples, so he planned to let it slide.
With that, Yuk-gyeong politely asked permission and started crossing the area.
"Excuse me while I pass through..."
"N-No, don't!"
What an asshole.
Should I kill him? Nah. Hold back. He looks like a total beggar. Waste of talismans or spirit stones if I do.
But Yuk-gyeong was pissed now, so he deliberately stepped over the formation lines, grinding his shoes into the ground and rubbing them around to mess it up.
Ptooey, ptooey. Whatever formation you're drawing, hope it fails.
And just like that, as Yuk-gyeong slowly stepped into the eye of the formation,
⚡ ZAP! ⚡ 'What the—?'
Yuk-gyeong knew instinctively. It was the instinct of a cultivator, deeply attuned to heaven-earth spiritual energy, the sky, and the land.
A bolt of lightning was about to strike here.
He could feel immense heaven-earth spiritual energy converging on this spot, locking him in place. The formation had ensnared his foot.
Yuk-gyeong couldn't even dodge.
'What the hell is this? Fuck! I was just trying to pass by!'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Rumble!
Outside the ruins, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky, flashing with pent-up lightning energy.
The disciples standing guard outside gaped in shock and shouted.
"What is that? Clouds out of nowhere..."
"Heavenly Tribulation! It's Heavenly Tribulation!"
"Suddenly? Whose tribulation is it? Did someone just break through to a major realm?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Mo Yong-jeong finally finished adjusting the formation, and he was hopping mad.
'My Heavenly Gathering Qi!'
He'd even spared no expense deploying artifacts to weaken the tribulation!
Mo Yong-jeong tried to rush into the formation, but it had already activated.
The veil of heaven-earth spiritual energy wouldn't let him interfere.
"This was meant for me! My Heavenly Gathering Qi!"
As the Wan Island Sect disciple screamed in anguish, Yuk-gyeong stood in the formation's eye—right under the gaping hole to the heavens—preparing to receive the Heavenly Tribulation.
There was nothing for it. A bolt of lightning was coming down—what could he do? At that insane speed, dodging was impossible.
BOOM!
"Haaah!"
Yuk-gyeong formed hand seals and confronted the descending bolt.
Damn it! If this is your Heavenly Gathering Qi lightning, then take it! Why the hell am I the one getting hit?!
I've already done my Earthly Gathering Qi—why is this Heavenly one crashing down on me like a bolt from the blue!
KRAKABOOM!
Lightning poured into Yuk-gyeong's body. Beyond the stinging jolt, he felt the explosive might of the Heavenly Tribulation threatening to burst him apart.
Heavenly Tribulation was the fury of the heavens themselves. A bolt no mere human could withstand.
The sky's thunder was utterly pure and overwhelming, unlike any human-made version. It carried the energy of utter annihilation.
Thunder was purity incarnate, tolerating nothing. It was the fire of heaven, a spear that incinerated all.
Still, he had to put up some kind of fight.
Yuk-gyeong threw everything he had at it.
🔥 Flame Ghost Ring Charm! 🔥 Shrilliii—! Yuk-gyeong quickly blew on his flute, summoning a fiery serpent from thin air. Spotting the incoming tribulation, the serpent coiled protectively around its master.
KRACK!
But could a mere flame serpent withstand Heavenly Tribulation? It held for an instant before vanishing.
🌊 Soul Emperor Brew! 🌊 Droplets formed at Yuk-gyeong's fingertips and shot toward the tribulation, only to evaporate like mist before the massive thunderbolt.
He couldn't even use the countless talismans from Low Water Platform. The chaotic spiritual energy from the tribulation made the paper disintegrate the moment he pulled them out.
The Soul-Seizing Spirit Banner messed with minds, useless against tribulation. As for Ironclad Defense... if it worked, he'd have used it already.
Sizzle-sizzle!
His body was burning up. Skin charring black first, Yuk-gyeong felt the agony of his whole body smoldering.
He'd thought he could hold out a bit! But nothing was working!
I can't take this!
Yuk-gyeong pulled out the Gathering Qi Pills from his robes and shoved five into his mouth at once. No time to take them one by one.
Gulp!
The immense medicinal power surged through his body.
What potency!
Heaven-earth spiritual energy flooded him like it would burst him apart. But the tribulation whittled it down, barely enough to shield him.
The potency was plenty, though. The swirling energy endlessly supplied him with spiritual power.
Yuk-gyeong used the storm of energy to protect his body.
Yet the tribulation still shaved away his energy and battered his flesh relentlessly.
That Wan Island Sect guy was preparing for this? All that formation tweaking and artifact setup must've been to weaken the tribulation!
'This... is Heavenly Tribulation? Even weakened by a ritual? And it's this strong?'
Grrraaah—!
Yuk-gyeong screamed without realizing it.
His mind was fading.
But his iron will, and his obsession with cultivation, held onto that thread of consciousness.
That slender thread.
It plunged him into a new state.
Forgetfulness.
Yuk-gyeong sensed the chaotic spiritual energy inside him and the tribulation outside, merging into oneness.
The lightning tempered his body like a blade. Forged in thunder, his flesh gleamed like polished steel.
In that process, he internalized the power and meaning of the tribulation, gaining the faintest resistance to it.
The tribulation cracked the wall of his Gathering Qi Realm wide open.
✨ Heavenly Gathering Qi! ✨ BAM!
And in that instant!
Yuk-gyeong realized. Sudden enlightenment, striking like lightning!
It was realization about the heavens and earth.
What are lightning, clouds, rain, air, mountains, forests, all things under heaven? They are expressions and projections of the Dao. All is Dao, yet Dao is none of it.
What is the Dao? What is the Dao?
I still do not know what the Dao is.
Realization of his own ignorance propelled him straight to Gathering Qi Realm.
Half-forged by tribulation, now completed by enlightenment!
The wall of his Gathering Qi Realm nearly shattered.
✨ Human Gathering Qi! ✨ BAM!
Achieving Human Gathering Qi simultaneously integrated the pill's potency, reshaped his skeleton, and forged his Earthly Gathering Qi.
The remaining potency demolished the Gathering Qi wall entirely and charged through to true Gathering Qi Realm like an advancing general.
✨ Earthly Gathering Qi! ✨ BAM!
Heaven, Human, Earth—three Gathering Qis achieved at once!
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Strange ripples exploded around Yuk-gyeong, scattering the remnants of the tribulation entirely.
Shhhh!
As the surging ambient spiritual energy settled into Gathering Qi Realm and the weakened tribulation dispersed, Yuk-gyeong's wretched state was revealed.
His clothes had burned away, and blood still stained spots on his body.
But his body gleamed hard and smooth as steel.
Yuk-gyeong sat cross-legged right there, stabilizing his realm.
The one who achieved Heavenly, Human, and Earthly Gathering Qi simultaneously.
Through Heavenly Gathering Qi, he'd gained understanding of tribulation. Through Human Gathering Qi, enlightenment into sudden realization and Dao Heart. The potency of Earthly Gathering Qi rapidly advanced his Gathering Qi Realm.
As he sat cross-legged, Yuk-gyeong's body floated up into the air on its own.
Bwoooom!
The air trembled, and waves emanated from his body. A Response Qi Great Circle cultivator witnessing this might gain some insight into Gathering Qi.
Yuk-gyeong felt it: in Response Qi, spiritual energy flowed through his body like wind; in Gathering Qi, it pooled like water.
The realm where spiritual energy pools like water—Gathering Qi Realm!
In Gathering Qi, one gathers and converts it into inner power.
His inner power filled to the brim in an instant.
"Phew. They say once you enter Gathering Qi, you build inner power slowly. But completing all three Heaven-Human-Earth Gathering Qis fills you right up."
Yuk-gyeong realized he had leaped straight into early-stage Qi Gathering after completing the three. He had crossed the beginner threshold, and the Heaven–Human–Earth Qi Gathering had laid a perfect foundation.
He could even aim for mid-Gathering Qi now?
A blessing in disguise.
He'd thought he'd die to the tribulation, but overcoming it turned out to be a boon.
At that moment,
"My Heavenly Gathering Qi! My Heavenly Gathering Qi!"
Mo Yong-jeong, the strongest Response Qi cultivator of Wan Island Sect—a half-step into Gathering Qi—lost his mind and charged at Yuk-gyeong like a wild beast, unleashing spells instinctively.
Roar! KRACK! RUMBLE!
Three types of spells manifested at once, surging toward Yuk-gyeong.
Flames licked hungrily to burn him; lightning shot like arrows; water hardened into blades, slashing down.
Anyone would be stunned.
Using three elemental spells simultaneously? Only someone with extraordinary spell talent would dare such a feat.
It was the utmost attack a Response Qi cultivator could muster.
No Response Qi cultivator could link spells with such destructive power.
Yuk-gyeong, at the center of that devastating assault, simply watched.
And then,
Whoosh!
He merely raised his hand and flipped his palm.
The heaven-earth spiritual energy around Mo Yong-jeong flipped abruptly, shattering all his spells and blasting him away.
BAM! Boom!
"Gaaah!"
Mo Yong-jeong screamed wretchedly as he flew off.