I Became the Protagonist Who Monopolizes Fortuitous Encounters in a Martial Arts Novel 20: The Forbidden Men's Zone (2)
‘Can I really eat all of this?’
The moment I lifted the massive bulk of the Millennium Snow Ginseng, that was the first thought that crossed my mind. It was so enormous that I worried I might get sick of it halfway through—or worse, whether it would even fit in my mouth.
But my concerns proved unfounded as things resolved themselves with surprising ease.
Sssrrrk!
To my astonishment, the moment I brought my lips to the gigantic Millennium Snow Ginseng, something incredible happened. At the touch of my breath, it melted into a single stream of crystalline nectar, sliding down effortlessly.
And above all, it was so sweet and delicious that it left me speechless. How could I even describe this taste? It quenched the thirst of both body and soul, more intoxicating than any ambrosial liquor. Without a doubt, it filled every deficiency within me.
Shwaaaaa!
But the ecstasy was fleeting. Soon, a bone-chilling cold and piercing pain surged through my entire body.
I panicked for a split second, then realized what was happening.
‘So it’s finally starting.’
Consuming a spiritual elixir doesn’t mean it’s instantly digested or absorbed into your blood and flesh. Especially with something as supreme as the Millennium Snow Ginseng, its potent energy and overwhelming yin chill could turn toxic if not handled properly.
As the saying goes in medicine: there’s a fine line between tonic and poison.
‘If I can’t fully refine this Millennium Snow Ginseng, it’ll be as deadly as any icy venom.’
Truth be told, at my current level of martial prowess, I shouldn’t have been able to consume it at all. Even that cheat character, the Heavenly Dragon Sovereign Sword Baek Muhon, probably couldn’t digest top-grade elixirs without help from his father, the world’s greatest martial artist, the Invincible Wind Cloud Sword Baek Taeryeong.
So why had I sought it out and taken it anyway?
The answer was simple.
My ultimate rival and nemesis Baek Muhon might have his golden spoon of a father, but I had this cheat-level heart method. The Divine Transformation Heart Method made the impossible possible. It had the power to fully digest and assimilate elixirs beyond my capacity, without waste.
‘Not even a single drop of its energy goes to waste—it absorbs everything perfectly.’
It boasted flawless efficiency.
Paaaat!
The instant the frigid energy invaded my body, I circulated the Divine Transformation Heart Method. A brilliant golden light—the hallmark of the method—ignited around me, slowly but surely melting away the ginseng’s power.
‘Huuuuh. That’s more like it!’
Activating the method felt like moving from an icy plunge to a soothing hot bath, warming me to the bone. The overwhelmingly fierce heart method calmly neutralized the ginseng’s lethal chill, transforming it into pure, beneficial essence.
Sssrrrk!
After circulating it in tandem for a good while, yet another bizarre phenomenon occurred.
As if I’d caught some grave illness, layers of my skin peeled away like shed epidermis. And then...
Ssssh!
Like a baldness beam had hit me, my hair—not just on my head, but every body hair—fell out in droves.
The sight was so brutally stark that tears nearly welled up, but I quickly grasped the situation.
‘No way... this is... marrow cleansing?!’
Marrow cleansing—expelling all impurities and toxins from the body, restructuring it into the ideal physique for martial cultivation. In other words, forging a frame comparable to the Heavenly Martial Body.
And there was more.
‘My dantian is being restructured too—it’s expanding enormously.’
They say the size of one’s dantian is innate, with limits to how much training can expand it. But now, with marrow cleansing, the vessel for my inner energy felt as vast as the sea.
This wasn’t mere illusion. My body had transformed into the perfect structure for martial arts.
Sssrrrk!
Once all the impurities and toxins drained from my pores, my body hair and scalp hair began regrowing. And then...
Krunch!
Clenching my fist filled my body with an indescribable, divine might.
But that wasn’t all. I felt reborn, invigorated to the core, my heart pounding with exhilaration.
“No way...”
The first words out of my mouth as I stood were just that.
Glancing at my reflection in the puddle from the melted ice around the ginseng spot, I couldn’t believe it. My appearance had changed dramatically.
Before, transmigrating Cheon Myeong had given me a handsome face from the real world’s “me,” refined but nothing extraordinary. Now, it had been sculpted into peerless masculine beauty.
It was already striking, but now it rivaled the top five in the world—no exaggeration.
‘Yeah. Now, even judging by looks and aura alone, I won’t lose to a martial prodigy like Baek Muhon.’
I liked the visible changes, at least.
That’s how you do a remake—go big or go home. Things had felt a bit stalled at Cheonmu Academy, but that was a long-term project anyway.
Still, snagging a supreme elixir like the Millennium Snow Ginseng here and achieving marrow cleansing? I was over the moon.
And the surprises didn’t end there.
Circulating it calmly once more, I couldn’t believe the results. What had been around three stars before broke through to four stars in an instant, eyeing five.
The Great Power Iron Hardening Skill had shattered past five stars, surpassing its creator Gabul in a case of the student outshining the master.
All these advancements meant something else entirely.
Thwack!
I sat in the lotus position to check my martial realm.
The Invincible Fist King’s realms were divided thus: third-rate, second-rate, first-rate, super first-rate, peak, super peak, Entry to Divinity, Martial God.
Talent caps out at super first-rate—better than first-rate but unreachable without heaven’s luck for peak.
Super peak marks the human limit; most who make a name across the land top out there.
Those in Entry to Divinity are the Ten Great Warriors of the World; late-stage ones can claim to be the best under heaven.
Martial God is the realm of legendary supreme masters like Shaolin’s founder Dharma, Wudang’s Zhang Sanfeng, or the Demonic Cult’s Heavenly Demon.
‘At Cheonmu Academy, I was barely first-rate.’
Of course, packed with cheat arts like the Divine Transformation Heart Method and Great Power Iron Hardening Skill, I could crush peak first-rates, but purely by realm, that was it.
Now, thanks to the elixir, I’d rocketed straight to peak master.
Some might scoff that peak is commonplace, but that’s nonsense from the ignorant.
‘Even local “geniuses” despair at peak—that’s why they separate non-peak masters as super first-rate.’
Most instructors at Cheonmu Academy were stuck at super first-rate, showing how arduous it is.
“Hahaha!”
I’d skipped from first-rate past super first-rate to shatter the greatest wall—peak—without even noticing. What could be better?
‘Good call taking the Millennium Snow Ginseng.’
With the ultimate cheat heart method, fiercer elixirs were better. It fully refined the ginseng, even granting me cold and water attributes.
These gave resistance to fire arts, useful against flames or heat. Not that I needed it with the Great Power Iron Hardening Skill.
“Huh? Already...?”
Savoring my satisfaction, I glanced around—the sun was high noon. Digesting the massive ginseng had taken far longer than expected.
‘Stay another day?’
The thought crossed my mind, but my leave was limited. Plus, with my elevated realm, I could slip past any Moon Maiden Palace experts unnoticed.
“Alright, let’s go!”
I pocketed the Moon Spirit Herb securely and hurried out of the natural cave.
Exiting was tougher than entering, but yesterday’s me and today’s were worlds apart.
I was certain now.
‘Among my peers, few are stronger than me now.’
No—none were overwhelmingly superior. Only types like Baek Muhon or major supporting characters matched this level.
‘Not the time to dwell.’
I moved stealthily, wary of Moon Maiden Palace experts, following the reverse path out. Nothing difficult.
This remote peak saw little traffic, so my worries seemed overblown.
That’s when it happened.
“Kyaaak!”
Everything had been smooth; I was moments from rappelling down the ice wall when a sharp cry pierced the air.
Definitely a girl’s voice, young and childish.
‘Any reason to hesitate?’
A kid in peril? I shot toward the scream without a second thought.
Paaat!
My lightness skill lagged behind my inner energy and arts, but I crossed to Moon Maiden Peak easily. Sure enough, there dangled a girl from a sheer cliff, caught mid-fall.
Moon Maiden Palace garb confirmed it. But most striking...
‘Silver hair!’
A lovely, cute girl with silver hair—the mark of the palace lord’s direct lineage.
“W-Who are you?”
Even in her dire straits, spotting an outsider—a man in the men-forbidden zone—she asked in panic.
“Stay calm and still. If that branch snaps...”
Her clothes had snagged on it mid-plunge between cliff and gorge—heaven’s luck. A break meant disaster.
“No... I can’t meet an outsider...”
I respected her rules, but ignoring her meant certain death.
Pabababat!
With my inner energy surging wildly, I flaunted elegant footwork—almost showing off—as I rescued her.
“Waaah! Waaaah!”
The girl, about fifteen, forgot her near-death thrill amid the spectacle, clapping in delight.
I grinned warmly, like at a little sister, and climbed to the cliff top.
Then a thought struck.
‘Ageless beauty, silver hair. Could she be...?’
Hardly daring to hope, I asked carefully.
“By any chance... is your name Seol Ye-rin?”