Chapter 109: A New Internal Energy Heart Method (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 109: A New Internal Energy Heart Method (2)
An elder with a rugged, honest countenance walked along the edge of a tranquil pond.
The shrubs, arranged in neat rows, were meticulously manicured, looking as though they had been tended to by dedicated hands for decades. Behind them, newly planted saplings stood at precise intervals, reaching toward the sky.
Cheol Mu-jin’s gaze fell upon a pavilion with a towering octagonal roof. Behind it, a cluster of massive pine trees rose even higher than the structure, creating a scene so refreshing it brought a chill to the air just by looking at it.
“So, you’ve come.”
As Cheol Mu-jin approached the pavilion, a stooped old man who had been staring into the pond spoke without turning. Beside him, another elder with deeply wrinkled skin watched the newcomer in silence.
“You really are together. I heard you had joined forces, but I couldn’t help but remain skeptical until I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Is that so?” Hwang Il-guk chuckled and stepped aside slightly. “Have a seat.”
“I will.”
Following the invitation, Cheol Mu-jin took his place.
“You’ve been so busy lately that it’s been hard to even catch a glimpse of your face.”
“Rebuilding the sect and educating the children… I’ve been busy enough to lose track of the days,” Cheol Mu-jin replied.
“Well, I suppose there are many burdens to shoulder when you’re in a position like yours,” Hwang Il-guk remarked consolingly.
Cheol Mu-jin curled the corner of his mouth, cutting straight to the chase. “Don’t beat around the bush; keep it brief. I’m a busier man than either of you.”
“You haven’t changed a bit, then or now.”
When Cheol Mu-jin remained silent, Hwang Il-guk gave an awkward smile and glanced at Jeon Yi-yeong. After exchanging a few silent looks, he spoke.
“Have you any thought of joining us?”
“Are you jesting with me?”
“I am serious.”
“Then you’ve gone senile.”
“Just listen for a moment,” Hwang Il-guk urged as Cheol Mu-jin’s expression soured. “I’m not asking you to come under the Samu Alliance. The roles of the three existing sects won’t change; only the name will. We are simply combining our strength for a greater cause. What do you think? Is it not a grand proposal?”
“And why should I join forces with you?”
“That is because…” Hwang Il-guk looked at Jeon Yi-yeong. This time, the latter spoke up with confidence.
“It is to join the ranks of the Ten Great Sects.”
“The Ten Great Sects?”
When Cheol Mu-jin questioned him, Jeon Yi-yeong answered with a grave expression.
“The Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families stand united, controlling the landscape of the Central Plains. The Unorthodox Faction is not necessarily weaker than them, but the Beggar Sect watches us constantly, and the orthodox sects cooperate organically with their eyes wide open. It is an environment where it is nearly impossible to grow our power.”
“…”
“Therefore, I believe that if the three powers that dominate the Unorthodox Faction—the Nine Dragons Alliance, the Samu Alliance, and the Golden Martial Association—join forces, everything will change. A massive Unorthodox power will be born, and even they will not be able to treat us lightly.”
“What absurd nonsense.”
Cheol Mu-jin dismissed the explanation in a single sentence.
The expressions of Hwang Il-guk and Jeon Yi-yeong cracked. They were leaders of their own sects; no one would feel good having their grand ambition dismissed as mere empty talk.
Cheol Mu-jin clicked his tongue and pointed out the flaws.
“Fighting against the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families… You’re mincing words, but in the end, you’re talking about conquering the Martial World. No matter how much we combine our strength, do you really think we can overturn prestigious families that have existed for hundreds of years overnight?”
His words were valid. Though they were labeled as the 'White Way' or the 'Righteous Way,' the member sects of the Martial Alliance were fundamentally prestigious families with deep histories. And a prestigious family was not called such without reason.
“You want to charge in just because our visible strength seems comparable? Go ahead and try it yourselves. Don’t try to drag us into it. Old, crafty serpents will crawl out of the woodwork endlessly. Do you really think it’s possible to strike them all down?”
The Jianghu was fundamentally a world where the strong survived. This was true for both the Unorthodox and Orthodox Factions. In other words, a sect that had survived for a long time had roots as deep as its history—from the Council of Elders to the Secret Pavilions and various secular branch influences.
This was why the Unorthodox Faction could never defeat the Orthodox Faction, no matter how many experts they produced. Before considering justifications or fairness, Cheol Mu-jin believed the sheer size of the Orthodox hidden reserves was on a different level.
He was a veteran of the Jianghu—a realist who had grown old within the Unorthodox Faction.
“It is possible. If we have but one specific martial art.”
However, Jeon Yi-yeong smiled. He had already prepared a card that could sufficiently agitate even a man like Cheol Mu-jin.
“One specific martial art?”
“The Demonic Energy Absorption Art. A technique of the Demonic Cult.”
“What…?”
The shock on Cheol Mu-jin’s face was exactly what they had expected.
*
“I am counting on you.”
Seok Myeong, who had entered the cave, bowed respectfully. A middle-aged man wearing a blue headband looked troubled, but seeing Seok Myeong’s repeated requests, he eventually nodded.
“…I will check with the Sect Leader.”
This was the Heaven Pillar Prison. For his closed-door cultivation, Seok Myeong had personally chosen the prison over any other location.
About an hour passed.
“Follow me.”
The middle-aged man led Seok Myeong deeper into the cavern.
The structure is similar to Chaoyang Cave.
Though it was his first time here, it didn’t feel unfamiliar. His past experience of closed-door cultivation in Chaoyang Cave was proving helpful.
The middle-aged man stopped in front of a cavern where a faint light emanated. As he opened the stone door, he gave Seok Myeong a warning.
“Once you enter, you can never come out until we open it from the outside. I don’t know why you insist on going in here, but…” He tilted his head in confusion before continuing. “I have prepared a year’s worth of Bigu Pills. If anything happens, knock on the door. I am always patrolling this area.”
“Thank you.”
Seok Myeong bowed. Once the conversation ended, the man raised both hands and struck a specific mechanism on the wall.
Rumble.
The stone door began to slide sideways. The moment the rock was fully pushed back, the hidden Heaven Pillar Prison revealed itself.
It was hard to see clearly in the gloom, but the dreary, shabby interior wasn’t much different from a natural cave. Furthermore, perhaps because it had been neglected for a long time, a strange, musty smell hung in the air.
The only consolation was a fist-sized hole at the far end of the wall. Light streamed through that hole, and a fire-starter had been placed in the center of the space.
“Then, I look forward to your help until the day I leave this place.”
Seok Myeong gave a short greeting and strode inside. The tall man chuckled as if he found it amusing.
“What a peculiar fellow. To even offer a greeting.”
“Well, none of the bastards who enter this place are normal to begin with.”
The short man waved his hand dismissively.
Thud.
The two men combined their strength to close the door. Thus, Seok Myeong’s life in the Heaven Pillar Prison began.
*
“Hmm.”
Stepping into the cave, Seok Myeong felt a sense of familiarity. Before entering, he had already mapped out what he needed to do. He was in a situation where he couldn't leave until the door was opened from the outside. What would be the best use of these days of uncertain duration?
First is the development of a heart method.
Currently, he was practicing the Azure Wind Origin Heart Method alongside the Demonic Energy Absorption Art and the Taiji Empty Heart. By tracing the circulation paths of these three heart methods, he wanted to create a technique that other Qingcheng disciples could easily learn.
If its effectiveness was proven, he would be able to explain that the martial arts he had mastered were not simply demonic arts, but ones that utilized the energy of nature.
However, most Qingcheng disciples practiced the Azure Origin Heart Method. It was safe to assume that almost no one else had mastered the Azure Wind Origin Heart Method like he had. Seok Myeong pondered how to bridge that gap, but he decided to set that aside for now.
“For now, the priority is to weave them into a proper orthodox heart method.”
The advantage of the Demonic Energy Absorption Art was internal energy absorption. He would balance that by combining it with the powerful energy of Qingcheng and the softness of Taiji. The key was how to harmonize these three.
After contemplating a solution for about an hour, Seok Myeong decided on a direction that involved two safety measures.
First, bring in the demonic qi slowly.
The most important element was the Demonic Energy Absorption Art. When operating that heart method, the demonic qi usually hit with a massive shock, as if it were tearing through the skin to penetrate the body. Seok Myeong aimed to minimize that shock as much as possible. For instance, he would narrow the channels for accepting demonic qi to the maximum extent to minimize the impact on the body.
And the second measure.
How do I incorporate the function of the Dark Heaven Bracelet into the heart method?
No matter how much he minimized the shock, the energy accepted through the Demonic Energy Absorption Art was undeniably demonic qi. He thought about how to handle the neutralization and how to manage the demonic qi, the Qingcheng energy, and the Taiji energy as they fluctuated within his body.
Seok Myeong’s gaze lowered toward his wrist. The role of the Dark Heaven Bracelet had been absolute in allowing him to master these martial arts.
He fell into deep thought once again. It was already difficult enough to harmonize three heart methods, but he also had to incorporate the function of neutralization. Furthermore, he had to create a heart method that absorbed only the strengths of each without any side effects.
It was a riddle that wouldn't be solved easily.
“Well. Time will pass quickly, at least.”
Fortunately, he was used to this sort of thing. His life until now had been a series of research projects in itself.
*
A day later, a man from the Azure Sky Pavilion left behind thick stacks of paper, ink, and a brush before departing. Seok Myeong set them aside and began to deliberate again.
No matter how many times he thought about it, there was only one answer. To completely observe the three heart methods, he had to operate them without the Dark Heaven Bracelet. Additionally, he had to create a formula that could absorb that power when his internal energy reached its limit.
“Can I really do it?”
Seok Myeong fell into realistic doubt. If harmony could be achieved even without the Dark Heaven Bracelet, he would be able to remember the path of their fusion and create the heart method. However, if he failed, it would mean total destruction.
After agonizing over it repeatedly, Seok Myeong finally reached a decision.
“Let’s try it. I won’t know anything until I try.”
He decided to attempt controlling the energies without the function of neutralization. Seok Myeong reached for his wrist, attempting to unfasten the Dark Heaven Bracelet.
At that moment.
Crumble.
“…!”
Seok Myeong quickly pulled his hand away. Surprisingly, the Dark Heaven Bracelet had turned into powder and crumbled away.
“It’s gone?”
Even as he saw it with his own eyes, Seok Myeong couldn't help but doubt them. Why had it suddenly turned to powder? It had been performing its function without any change all this time.
After a moment of confusion, Seok Myeong soon regained his composure. He had expected the remaining unrefined energies to torment him once the Dark Heaven Bracelet vanished, but no reaction occurred.
Has the effect of the Dark Heaven Bracelet disappeared? Or…
Seok Myeong looked down at his palm. It was hard to see in the dark, but he stared intensely.
Have I grown to the point where I no longer need its effects?
He couldn't be certain of either. But what was certain was that even when he circulated the Demonic Energy Absorption Art, he was no longer swayed by demonic nature. On the contrary, he felt peaceful. It was as comfortable as lying down in his own home.
If the energies have harmonized and the Dark Heaven Bracelet disappeared on its own…
Then he would be able to create an internal energy heart method using the path he was currently circulating.
Suddenly, his heart raced. Seok Myeong looked down at his body and spoke.
“Yes. I can do it. The source of demonic arts is also the energy of nature—why did I ever think it was impossible?”