Chapter 229
Chapter 229
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 229
Chapter Title: The Golden Turtle's Inner Core
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Dawn, when the first light of day descended.
Namgung Hyeok sat cross-legged on his bed.
At the hour said to hold the purest energy between heaven and earth, Namgung Hyeok began his breathing exercise.
His pores opened, drawing in the energy lingering between heaven and earth.
Namgung Hyeok greedily absorbed the ambient energy, breaking it down as he filtered out the pure essence over and over, gathering it in his dantian.
In an instant, he circulated the energy twelve times before exhaling a long breath and opening his eyes.
A clear, radiant light flashed in the darkness before slowly fading away.
Namgung Hyeok quietly examined his body.
Passing the heart where yin energy had clumped, he scanned his now clean and toughened meridians, then turned his focus to his dantian.
His internal energy had grown considerably.
Even now, it continued transforming into pure energy, steadily accumulating bit by bit.
Compared to his past life, the amount was laughably insufficient, but compared to half a year ago, it had grown to an unbelievable degree.
It was fast.
Undeniably fast.
Yet humans always compared themselves to better times, better circumstances.
"Still not enough, huh."
It was only natural he felt that way.
At least he no longer felt like he might explode from frustration over his lacking internal energy.
The superiority of martial arts wasn't determined solely by the quantity of internal energy, and he had only one reason for obsessing over it.
The Nine Yin Crippled Veins.
To completely overcome these damnable Nine Yin Crippled Veins and advance to higher realms.
That was why he scrambled everywhere to craft the Golden Immortal Pill and endlessly cultivated the Heavenly Bright King Art, wasn't it?
Otherwise, he'd be satisfied with his current level.
Even the so-called supreme expert of Zhejiang, whether Black Dragon King or some worm, would be erased in an instant if he unleashed his original martial arts!
In terms of quantity, he probably didn't even match Namgung Ryong.
Yet he could bridge that gap with enlightenment, past experiences, understanding of martial arts, and pure internal energy.
"If the world's best was decided by internal energy quantity, then the Golden King or that Mount Wudang Sword Immortal would've claimed it."
Those two would undoubtedly take the title for internal energy.
But reality was they barely scraped into the Ten Great Masters of the World, or didn't even make the list.
It proved that quantity of internal energy wasn't the absolute measure of martial prowess.
'Anyway, that's not the point.'
He just needed to gather a lot of pure internal energy.
A lot...
Thinking about it, it was similar to getting rich.
What's the difference between gathering a lot of money to become wealthy?
"...But seriously, isn't it ridiculous? How can an original technique I haven't even practiced be stronger?"
He couldn't beat Jecheon River even with the diligently trained Three Thunder Sword Technique, but casually pulled out his origin art after ages and sliced him apart.
What the hell?
"...Is it that old things are always better or something?"
Of course, old things were good.
But getting stronger with old martial arts still topped out at Overlord level, didn't it?
His gaze was fixed on higher, farther peaks, so he had no reason to cling to past arts.
"The Three Thunder Sword Technique is plenty. If it's lacking, just build it up."
The Three Thunder Sword Technique was no different from a supreme sword art.
It only seemed inferior now because his body's harmony was disrupted, compared to the extreme pinnacle of Overlord Chaos.
"Once the Nine Yin Crippled Veins are resolved, this will sort itself out too."
Namgung Hyeok believed it would naturally resolve once he obtained the Golden Immortal Pill and mastered the Heavenly Bright King Art.
Sure, he wanted to keep learning what seemed like faster paths, but hadn't past experience taught him that was a no-go?
'Overcome the Nine Yin Crippled Veins, and then I can truly begin. Just hold on a bit longer—you've got that much patience, right?'
Oh, did he?
Namgung Hyeok scratched his head.
Anyway, martial arts could be refined slowly; the urgent matter was the Nine Yin Crippled Veins.
Only by resolving them could he properly walk the path to ascension.
Internal energy alone couldn't lead to enlightenment, nor could enlightenment alone manifest it.
At least not for a martial artist like him.
Internal energy and enlightenment had to harmonize.
That was the sole reason he desperately sought the Golden Immortal Pill and ground out the Bright King Chaos Heaven Record to create the Heavenly Bright King Art.
To gain both internal energy and enlightenment.
Namgung Hyeok grasped the demon sword placed at the edge of his bed.
Woooom...
It felt like the dawn light was being sucked into the demon sword.
"Is this why it carries such malice?"
Wooong!
"Look at that?"
Woooong!
"Should I melt it down into scrap metal and forge a new blade?"
...Woong.
It went quiet?
The demon sword trembled finely at Namgung Hyeok's malice.
"Ahem!"
He cleared his throat awkwardly and stepped out into the courtyard.
The still-chilly dawn air seeped into his skin.
Shing!
Namgung Hyeok drew the demon sword.
The blade revealed its pristine white sheen, emanating chilling sword intent. Demonic energy oozed from the edge, driving away the dawn light.
A faint red glow flickered over the snow-white blade.
Demonic energy.
Here lay the karma the Demon Lord had borne alongside the Blood Tribulation.
Namgung Hyeok circulated the Heavenly Bright King Art.
Pure, incomparably clear and crystalline energy seeped into the sword.
Kiiiiing-!
The demonic energy roiled.
The energy that defied nature was pushed back by the pure force of the Heavenly Bright King Art.
Red sword qi burst from the tip.
Fwoooosh!
The ferocious aura like a savage beast seemed to freeze the surrounding air solid.
Vicious demonic energy.
Even after a year sealed away.
"How the hell did those bastards even find this thing?"
Namgung Hyeok clicked his tongue.
Watching the red sword light dance like flames, he truly felt the magnitude of the demonic energy the Demon Lord had amassed.
For a hunk of metal sealed for decades to retain this much...
"I lopped off that Demon Lord's head myself. Heh!"
Namgung Hyeok chuckled, reminiscing.
Intently eyeing the demonic energy dying everything scarlet, he raised his left hand.
Daring to challenge the Heavenly Bright King Art, huh?
Slap slap!
Wooong...
The sword shuddered violently, and the flaring demonic energy suddenly quieted.
Dazzling sword light radiated from the pristine white blade.
Namgung Hyeok tsked.
"Gonna have to give you a good thrashing sometime."
The demonic energy was too potent for Namgung Family's second young master to wield properly.
Namgung Hyeok felt the need to periodically tame the demonic emanations from now on.
If he could control the demonic energy well, few swords in the world would surpass this one.
That was how exceptional the Demon Lord's sword had been.
The him from his past life had coveted it, after all.
As Namgung Hyeok lost himself in thought staring at the demon sword, Little Rat vaulted over the wall.
Namgung Hyeok let out a hollow laugh.
"That punk just hops over someone else's wall like it's nothing?"
He cleared it quite naturally.
Kid's good at thieving too...
Ah, right, he did some righteous bandit work with the Black Wind Crew.
"What?"
Little Rat grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
"Came to share some minor news."
"To mooch booze?"
"Hehe, food works too."
"Look at this beggar's potbelly."
"A beggar's got oil in his belly? That's a blessing."
Little Rat smiled awkwardly.
Namgung Hyeok sheathed the demon sword at his waist and asked,
"So, what is it?"
"Heh..."
"Not trying to play games, right?"
"Hehe, no way. Just wondering where to start..."
"Where do I need to hit to get that tongue moving?"
"I-I'll talk! Heh, hehe. Quite the impatient young master."
Little Rat gauged Namgung Hyeok's mood and quickly spoke.
"Our Beggars' Sect heard while searching for the Millennium Spirit Carp—word is the Black Dragon Sect hunted a Golden Turtle. Heard of it?"
"These beggar punks ignoring the carp to peddle their own scoops?"
"...No, that's not the point. They caught the Golden Turtle!"
"Golden Turtle? What's that?"
"You know, the turtle in the sea, a spirit beast shining gold all over."
"Spirit beast?"
Namgung Hyeok recalled the list of prizes.
He'd never even seen a golden turtle's inner core, let alone its shell.
If there'd been an inner core, he'd never forget it.
And even without that one, how many spirit pills and elixirs had the Black Dragon Sect devoured?
Seeing Namgung Hyeok's blank reaction, Little Rat paused before continuing.
"Didn't you see it when you raided the Black Dragon Sect? Timing matches when they looted the prizes..."
"What?"
"Golden Turtle inner core was in the Black Dragon Sect. Near Millennium Spirit Carp level..."
"What?!"
What nonsense is this?
Golden Turtle inner core?
Rivaling the Millennium Spirit Carp?
Namgung Hyeok's pupils dilated, veins bulging in his eyes.
"You fuckers!"
His eyebrows twisting upward, Namgung Hyeok bolted toward the medicine hall.
Whoooosh!
Little Rat stared blankly as Namgung Hyeok vanished like a gust of wind.
"He really didn't know?"
Little Rat tilted his head and trudged toward where Namgung Hyeok had gone.
* * *
Namgung Hyeok burst into the medicine hall, eyes bloodshot, rummaging through spirit elixirs and pills.
"Gone. Not here, not there! This isn't it either!"
A precious Golden Turtle inner core, overlooked!
If Little Rat came specifically to mention it, it wasn't baseless rumor.
Then the golden turtle's inner core might be here.
Maybe he'd glossed over it as some random elixir or pill!
"Damn it, what's a Golden Turtle inner core look like? A golden egg?"
Namgung Hyeok's sudden frenzy left people staring dumbfounded.
Ha Baek muttered,
"Golden Turtle inner core? Never seen one from a spirit beast like that..."
"Could've ground it into a pill!"
"For a Golden Turtle level, eating raw might be better..."
"You bastard! That good?!"
Namgung Hyeok rolled his eyes and resumed his frantic search.
Why the sudden hunt for Golden Turtle elixir?
"Tsk tsk, lost his mind again."
Huh?
Some beggar...
Little Rat shook his head.
"Just leave him. He'll tire himself out."
"..."
"Plenty of elixirs, and he's flipping out over one core..."
"Where's mine?!"
Namgung Hyeok grabbed Little Rat's collar and shook him violently.
Rattle rattle!
Little Rat dangled in midair, flailing wildly.
Ha Baek's eyes went wide watching.
Namgung Hyeok, eyes half-rolled back, shook Little Rat like mad.
"Gack gack! B-Beggar's dying! Beggar!"
"Where's my Golden Turtle? You said it was there! There!"
"G-Gack! L-Let go... N-No, if it was there, they'd have eaten it already!"
"Eaten? Eaten?!"
Should I rip open their bellies?!
Little Rat thrashed.
'Ah, fuck! Look at this madman's eyes! Gack gack!'
Little Rat paled at Namgung Hyeok's demeanor, reminiscent of the Black Dragon Sect raid.
Namgung Hyeok furrowed his brow, eyeing the lined-up elixir boxes.
"...Golden Turtle inner core."
"Gack?"
"Masked ferocious beasts, Gullok's secret chamber, Golden Turtle inner core..."
Words flashed rapidly through Namgung Hyeok's mind.
Little Rat flinched.
Namgung Hyeok, who seemed ready to snap and storm the yamen for the Black Dragon Sect remnants, suddenly narrowed his eyes and stood still.
'Why's this guy's vibe shifting?'
Little Rat dangled by the collar, peering at him.
Namgung Hyeok gravely scanned the elixirs from the Black Dragon Sect.
'Black-cloaked man, Gullok's secret vault, Golden Turtle inner core...'
After sorting his thoughts, Namgung Hyeok let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha, hahaha."
He muttered,
"Those bastards were planning to make elixirs too?"
...Ridiculous.