Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Millennium Snow Ginseng
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A short while later, as my excitement settled, another problem arose: consuming the Millennium Snow Ginseng itself.
I knew full well that one couldn't just pop an elixir into their mouth willy-nilly.
'If it could be devoured like some random vegetable, the battle for the Millennium Snow Ginseng wouldn't have dragged on for so long...'
Elixirs like the Millennium Snow Ginseng were not commonplace. No, among those discovered or refined in the past century or so, only something like the Shaolin Temple's Great Return Pill could compare to this peerless treasure. The term "elixir" meant it contained qi at its extreme, a massive clump of qi in its purest form.
If I swallowed the Millennium Snow Ginseng without proper preparation, my Solar Meridian point would swell, my dantian and lower abdomen would scorch with heat, and eventually, my meridians would rupture, killing me. It was obvious I couldn't handle the terrifying qi contained within.
What the Millennium Snow Ginseng held was extreme yin qi. To ingest a lump of yin qi condensed over decades or centuries, it would be ideal if I possessed extreme yin energy myself. But such cultivation was only found in the North Sea, and fundamentally, the Thunder Dragon One Qi Art was a yang-dominant force.
Should I yield and accept it with matching yin qi?
Or protect my vitality with intense yang qi while fusing the yin qi?
The only option available to me was the latter.
Naturally, there was room for doubt whether my cultivation was sufficient to survive ingesting the Millennium Snow Ginseng. My internal energy had surely reached first-class level, but comparing it to the renowned experts who vied for it was a stretch. To survive consuming it, I needed thorough preparation and utmost focus.
'Let me recall. How did the battle for the Millennium Snow Ginseng unfold back then? There must be some clue...'
The struggle for the Millennium Snow Ginseng began when Danmok So, the young house lord of the Danmok Family, went out on a pleasure trip. Along the way, he befriended the Five Dragons, the righteous faction's promising young talents, and they began touring Mount Huang together. It was then that they stumbled upon the Millennium Snow Ginseng by chance, leading to arguments and a fight right there on the spot.
In the end, Danmok So shook off the Five Dragons and fled with the elixir, prompting them to give chase. Nearby Yellow Mountain Sect experts got involved, and soon experts from the Zhongnan Sect and Huashan Sect rushed in from afar to seize it. Even unorthodox and demonic sect experts swarmed like flies, desperate to capture Danmok So.
By sheer luck, Danmok So survived but lost an arm in the process. He reportedly offered the Millennium Snow Ginseng to the Righteous Heaven Alliance Leader, who had saved his life. In the end, everyone else ended up with nothing but scraps.
'Hold on... something's off. He escaped from here?'
I spotted the inconsistency in my memory and looked up.
The snowy expanse where I stood wasn't connected to a valley terrain. The cave behind the valley waterfall extended about ten zhang before abruptly dropping into a cliff—a hidden scenic spot. There was a narrow side path between the valleys, of course—but escaping that way against promising righteous talents like the Five Dragons was like reaching for the stars. One person blocking it would make passage impossible, and the terrain made it all too easy for pursuers to stab you in the back.
I surmised there was some inside story between Danmok So and the Five Dragons. Moreover, I figured that day's struggle must have been an ugly mudslinging brawl, utterly unbecoming of those who usually wore the mask of righteousness.
In any case, I now faced a choice. Should I attempt consuming the Millennium Snow Ginseng right here, or take it with me and ponder more calmly elsewhere?
'Take the Millennium Snow Ginseng out? Ridiculous! I'll eat it right here.'
I chose to consume it on the spot without hesitation. When you've obtained something precious, you don't leave room for it to be stolen or lost. Getting here had already been a gamble with my life, so I had no choice but to trust my stamina and willpower for one more push.
A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead. I swallowed hard and pulled out the Millennium Snow Ginseng, holding it in one hand. True to its reputation as a treasure of the world, just holding it sent chilling energy seeping into my palm. Along with it came a refreshing scent that made my insides feel cleansed, a delightful sensation.
"Ah... no. Let me recover some stamina first."
I shook my head. As I prepared to eat it, fear surged, and I realized how much stamina I'd expended getting here. The more stamina I had, the better my chances of survival, so I knew now was the time to rest my weary body and mind from the climb.
I took dried meat and a pouch of beans from my bosom and had a simple meal. I had a wine flask tied to my waist but deliberately avoided the alcohol. I wasn't some lunatic who'd guzzle booze before taking an elixir.
'Still, I'm a bit hungry... Hmm.'
My mouth watered regrettably until I spotted the lotus in the pond. Lotus flowers, leaves, and roots were perfect edible plants. Boiling them lightly would make for a nourishing meal, I thought.
Hadn't the White Ring Temple monks said they ate that black lotus regularly? There was no way it could have harmful side effects for health. With that in mind, I headed to the pond's edge and began harvesting the lotus.
I cut one black lotus and one white lotus, then separately sliced the leaves and roots. I lit a simple fire, scooped pond water into a pot, and brought it to a boil. Once it seemed ready, I poured the boiling water onto the snow and trimmed away the rotten parts.
The lotus flowers and leaves, rising with gentle warmth, were delicious. I compared the tastes of the white and black lotuses as I ate—they were both pleasantly flavorful.
"I'm full."
Satisfied, I leaned against the cave wall and lay down. I'd rest a bit, then try the Millennium Snow Ginseng.
"......?"
At that moment, I felt something strange.
Lying still, a hot energy began creeping up from my dantian. It was like a furnace, hot enough to melt my organs! Intense pain like my heart was burning surged through me, so I shot up and sat cross-legged.
"Huh! Huh! Krghack...!!"
This was maddening. Why was this happening?
I hurriedly circulated the Thunder Dragon One Qi Art, sat in the lotus position, and focused. Circulating qi through the Great Celestial Circuit calmed the massive yang qi surging to my crown, easing the agony throughout my body.
Bubble bubble
"Krghaaack..."
The next instant, I vomited blood. Though I'd subdued the energy somewhat, the immense yang qi still rampaged wildly through me like a tyrant. Amid the excruciating pain clouding my mind, I desperately tried to understand the situation.
Then, a fleeting thought crossed my mind unbidden.
'Elixir... Elixirs grow together in symbiosis... clustered together... No way...!!'
I was flabbergasted.
White Lotus and Black Lotus!
No one had paid them any mind, but these too were treasures of the world! Elixirs had the habit of yin and yang qi coexisting, so near the extreme yin energy of the Millennium Snow Ginseng grew lotuses bearing extreme yang energy.
'Hah... But the monks who ate the black lotus were fine...'
Was it because they ate both white and black together?!
What I'd done was something no one would think of. Even those who later searched this place wouldn't have tried both. Eating just one wouldn't trigger the latent yang qi, but consuming both unleashed yang energy rivaling the Millennium Snow Ginseng.
Crackle
Splatter splatter
I felt veins bulging across my body. Though I desperately suppressed it with the Thunder Dragon One Qi Art, I couldn't contain it. If this continued, my heart would burst first, followed by my organ vessels exploding like balloons. I instinctively knew I had less than half a shichen left.
'I... In that case... No choice!'
I squeezed my eyes shut and raised the Millennium Snow Ginseng in my hand. Without hesitation, I opened my mouth and began chewing.
Crunch
Crunch
A refreshing chill slid down my throat. And just as I thought the remnants had reached my stomach—
Boom!!
"Uwaaaaaah!!"
Extreme yang qi and yin qi collided explosively upon meeting! Pain worse than being stabbed surged repeatedly through my gut, making me roll my eyes back and spurt nosebleeds. Blood streamed down, but I couldn't spare it a thought amid the agony. It felt like needles were stabbing into every inch of my flesh and flipping it inside out.
"Ugh... Aaaah...."
Screaming, I crawled across the ground. Maintaining the lotus position to calm the energy was a pipe dream. At the same time, I briefly felt relief in my gut, sweat pouring down my back.
Inside, the qi from the Millennium Snow Ginseng and black-and-white lotuses mingled. It felt like my organs were rupturing from the clash, yet the elixir qi was patching them up. Even as ants gnawed at my entire body, I was dumbfounded.
'It was suicidal... If I'd just tried eating the Millennium Snow Ginseng alone...'
The exact opposite would have happened. Extreme yin qi would surge, and no amount of Thunder Dragon One Qi Art could block it. The thought of freezing to death trying to consume the Millennium Snow Ginseng sent chills down my spine.
And I'd miraculously discovered the correct way to take the elixir.
Ingest the extreme yin Millennium Snow Ginseng and extreme yang black-and-white lotuses together!
That was the only way to survive it.
I felt the pain gradually subside. More precisely, the yin and yang qi mixed, expanding in volume, and I was slowly gathering it into my dantian.
"Cough... Urk... Ugh..."
I desperately regained my senses and sat cross-legged. Gritting my teeth, I attempted the maximum circulation I could manage.
Only once the yang qi settled below my solar plexus could I finally regulate my breathing.
With my whole body relaxed, I pressed the tip of my tongue to my upper palate. Breathing through my nose, I inhaled slowly, savoring each breath until my lower dantian bulged. Then, per the subtleties of the Wheel Arms Parting Clouds, I exhaled gradually, palms facing outward in horse stance.
After repeating this three times, the yang qi finally sank smoothly into my dantian.
The moment it settled, the qi from the Millennium Snow Ginseng and black-and-white lotuses, already gathered in my dantian, resonated, making my whole body tremble. But there was no pain. Instead, a mystical energy glinted in my eyes, and sweat endlessly poured from my body. Explosive power formed in my dantian, striking the surrounding acupoints.
Bang!
The force traveled along the Conception Vessel, rising until it met a gateway. It pushed gently, but the gate didn't open. A faint pain throbbed near my temples, though I couldn't tell if it was real or just imagined. I gathered the qi permeating my body into my dantian and unleashed it all at once.
Rumble...
A long while later, I opened my eyes. Clear spiritual light seemed to pierce through my entire body.
The blood I'd spat out pooling around me,
The two fingernails torn from clawing the ground in pain,
The dingy blood-sweat coating my body,
The dried blood tears crusting my eyes—
None of it mattered.
Smoke-like haze rose from my body.
I slowly gathered my internal energy and stood. I'd successfully compressed it all into my dantian, spreading the elixir's power through my limbs and hundreds of vessels. In the end, I'd pierced the Life and Death Profound Gate.
With this, my internal energy had unequivocally reached the realm of a Peak Expert!
I'd obtained terrifying cultivation comparable to a major sect elder. Now, every technique or internal art I unleashed would hold at least ten times the power it once did.
"Success."
I'd earned this fortuitous encounter through effort.
Words couldn't capture my current elation.