Chapter 127: Spreading the Qingcheng Heart Method (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 127: Spreading the Qingcheng Heart Method (3)
Thud.
A book landed on the table. The title, Qingcheng Heart Method, was written in bold calligraphy on the cover, drawing every eye in the room.
Song Ji asked solemnly, "Is there anyone among you willing to learn this technique?"
Sitting before him were four First Generation Disciples who carried the future of Qingcheng on their shoulders. They were individuals Song Ji had handpicked, carefully considering their talent, temperament, and adaptability.
There was Seok Jun, who had earned his Azure Sutra Robe before Seok Myeong ever left the sect. Sitting across from him were Seok Jin, Seok Hu, and Seok Gyeong. With one established Qingcheng Swordsman and three elite First Generation Disciples, it was a lineup that represented the very best of the Qingcheng Sect’s available strength.
Song Ji picked up the manual for the Qingcheng Heart Method and spoke in a heavy, low voice.
"This martial art is fundamentally different from the Qingcheng techniques you have mastered until now. As you know, its original source is the Demonic Cult’s Demonic Energy Absorption Art. However, through generations of painstaking refinement by the Taoists of the Cheong-un lineage, it has been reborn as an entirely new heart method."
At the end of his sentence, he glanced back at Seok Myeong.
In a way, this was a gamble. The heart methods of the Demonic Cult followed a path diametrically opposed to those of the Orthodox sects. Seok Myeong had managed to master it through his own grueling efforts and various strokes of luck, but there was no guarantee it would be the same for the other disciples.
However, that was precisely why this hurdle was necessary. If they could prove that Seok Myeong’s Qingcheng Heart Method was perfect, the power of the Qingcheng Sect would increase exponentially.
"I will try to learn it."
At those words, all eyes shifted to one spot. The one who had raised his hand was Seok Jin.
"There is a high possibility of falling into Qi Deviation," Song Ji warned once more.
He knew Seok Jin followed Seok Myeong with absolute devotion. If he stepped forward rashly out of blind faith, it could result in even greater harm to both Seok Myeong and himself.
But Seok Jin answered without flinching.
"I have received teachings from the Eldest Disciple since I was young. Not once was there anything strange or wrong in his guidance. It will surely be the same this time. If it is a heart method created by the Eldest Disciple, I believe it will be more magnificent than any other technique in Qingcheng."
Seok Myeong felt a lump in his throat as he looked at Seok Jin, who was staring straight at him. He vividly remembered Seok Jin constantly seeking him out to ask questions back when he resided in the Azure Moon Secret Pavilion.
"Good. Then Seok Jin shall be the first to learn. Anyone else?"
With a faint smile, Song Ji looked at Seok Jun, who was sitting nearby.
Before Seok Myeong’s reappearance, Seok Jun had been the undisputed rising star of the Qingcheng Swordsmen. Though he and Seok Myeong had fought like cats and dogs in the past, a warmer atmosphere had developed between them since the attack by the mysterious figures.
Thus, Song Ji held a bit of hope. There would be nothing better than a true reconciliation between fellow disciples who once shared a rift.
"That heart method... it isn't finished yet, is it?" Seok Jun asked.
"That is correct."
"So, in other words, are we to be test subjects?"
"..."
Song Ji frowned at Seok Jun’s sharp choice of words. "We are conducting a final verification as it nears completion."
The meaning was the same, but the nuance between 'test subject' and 'final verification' was worlds apart. Song Ji, hoping to maintain a positive atmosphere, emphasized the bright side.
"The Sect Leader has verified it himself. He stated there are clearly no issues with the theory behind the heart method."
"In theory, you mean."
"...Yes."
"Then I will pass. I don't wish to die just yet."
While Seok Jun remained undecided, Seok Hu raised his hand from the side.
"I admit that the martial arts the Eldest Disciple showed in his previous fight were incredibly profound. However, it is uncertain whether those arts are truly proper."
"Hmm."
"I feel the same," Seok Gyeong added from the back, influenced by the mood. "Demonic arts are demonic arts; they are not of a nature that can be mixed with the energy of Qingcheng."
They weren't wrong. Song Ji had expected this reaction. The fear of the Demonic Cult’s arts ran deep.
However, this was problematic. Since it was a dangerous technique, the individual's will was the most important factor. He could force them, but that would be worse than not doing it at all.
‘Verification isn't possible with just one person.’
Song Ji glanced back at Seok Jun. While the others were showing signs of opposition, Seok Jun hadn't said much either way. He sat with his eyes closed, seemingly organizing his thoughts.
"I will..."
Just as Seok Jun was about to speak, an unexpected person raised their hand.
"I will also learn it. That heart method."
A look of disbelief crossed Seok Myeong’s eyes. "Junior Sister Yeon-hui!"
Song Ji hadn't even invited her to this meeting. She was the Sect Leader's daughter. He had no intention of letting her face such risks; if—by some terrible chance—something unfortunate happened, the repercussions would be beyond imagination.
"Are you serious?" Song Ji asked, his eyes narrowing.
Yeon-hui nodded. "I am serious. In any case, verifying the heart method with only one person is insufficient, isn't it?"
"But you are the Sect Leader's daughter. You must know what that implies."
"I do. That is why it is something I must do. Because I am the Sect Leader's daughter."
"Ha!" Song Ji let out a hollow laugh at Yeon-hui’s bold answer.
In a way, she was right. If the leader of a sect cherished his own child and kept them away from danger, which disciple would be willing to step forward first?
"Junior Sister Yeon-hui. You are a woman," Seok Jun tried to dissuade her.
"And?" Yeon-hui countered easily. "In the attack by those mysterious figures not long ago, I could barely even protect myself. Does the Jianghu distinguish between men and women?"
"..."
"I want to be able to protect my own life. My father, the Sect Leader, has reviewed it, and if it is a heart method created by the Eldest Disciple, I believe it is trustworthy enough."
"You!"
"Enough."
The moment Seok Jun began to snap back, Song Ji cut him off in a low voice.
Though it wasn't Seok Jun as he had hoped, Yeon-hui was also a Qingcheng Swordsman. And a woman at that. There were now enough people for the verification.
"Then the two of you shall be the first to learn. Seok Myeong, come forward and explain the martial art."
Song Ji continued, sensing that the situation had been settled.
*
It was decided that the training would take place at the Central Yellow Hall.
Located near the Palace of Supreme Clarity, the Central Yellow Hall was once used for training by the priests who guarded the Heavenly Shrine Cave. Since it wasn't currently in use, they chose it for their purpose.
Seok Myeong had earned the title of instructor, half by choice and half by circumstance. Though he was an instructor for only a small group, it wasn't a position to be looked down upon. The role of instructor was a sacred duty that could only be held by a Qingcheng Swordsman ranked within the top forty. Thus, among the First Generation Disciples, Seok Myeong was granted the qualification of instructor, second only to Seok Jun.
"Let's check your internal strength first."
"Yes, Eldest Disciple."
"Understood!"
Before starting the explanation, Seok Myeong inspected the bodies of Yeon-hui and Seok Jin. He needed to see which heart methods they had mastered and how their qi moved through their circulation paths.
‘As expected, it’s the Azure Wind Heart Method.’
The foundation of the heart method he had mastered was the Azure Wind Origin Heart Method, which had been completed by True Person Song Hye. However, that only applied to Seok Myeong. Most of the priests in the Qingcheng Sect practiced the standard Azure Wind Heart Method.
Before they began the cultivation, Seok Myeong explained the crucial points.
"The most important thing before learning the Demonic Energy Absorption Art is the Dual Flow Exchange Technique. By utilizing this, demonic qi and the energy of Qingcheng can coexist."
"Is it really possible to operate two heart methods at the same time?" Yeon-hui asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
"It is. They circulate simultaneously through a single Imaginary Point. When the two energies move in opposite directions, they start from one point, travel in a circuit, and repeatedly return to that same origin. That point is the Imaginary Point, and that method of operation is the Dual Flow Exchange Technique."
Seok Myeong immediately explained how to master the technique.
"By using this Dual Flow Exchange Technique, you can divide the energy in your body into two types: External Qi and Inner Qi."
"What exactly do External Qi and Inner Qi refer to?" Seok Jin asked.
"External Qi is not your existing internal energy, but the energy outside the body. You cover it with the energy of Qingcheng. Inner Qi is the energy brought in through the Demonic Energy Absorption Art. For example..."
Shring.
Seok Myeong drew his sword and channeled his internal strength into the blade.
"Ah...!"
As dark Black Ink Energy swirled around the tip of Seok Myeong’s sword, the expressions of Yeon-hui and Seok Jin changed instantly. They had seen it before when he fought Seok Jun and when the mysterious figures invaded, but this was the first time they had seen it from such a close distance.
"This black energy gathered at the tip of the sword is a modified form of demonic qi. The darkness comes from the demonic qi summoned by the Demonic Energy Absorption Art, and the faint light at the edges is the energy of the Azure Wind Origin Heart Method. These two energies merge into one to become Black Ink Energy."
The eyes of the First Generation Disciples widened. Before they knew it, the Central Yellow Hall was packed with onlookers who had gathered to see the spectacle.
Unlike the amazed crowd, Seok Myeong’s heart was heavy. He could explain it easily with words, but his anxiety remained. Could he be certain that his method of cultivation would suit them? And if it didn't, how would he solve the problem? These thoughts were endless.
‘They said half a year. I must produce results somehow. Only then can I face my Master’s memorial tablet with dignity.’
Seok Myeong made a vow. He would put forth every effort to ensure they successfully mastered the technique.
*
About three days later, Yeon-hui and Seok Jin began to accurately perform the Dual Flow Exchange Technique and the Taiji Empty Heart.
After fifteen days had passed, they reached the point where they could skillfully operate the Azure Wind Origin Heart Method again.
Seok Myeong’s real worry began then: the integration of the Absorption Art.
Even though it was a heart method he used himself, whether it was possible for others was a different matter. Even if a new path of circulation had been created when the Dark Heaven Bracelet disappeared, the risk was bound to be high if he relied solely on that.
A single moment of control. Changing something the very instant demonic qi was accepted was nearly impossible.
"What are you worrying so much about?"
It was early morning. Seok Myeong was lying on a shabby wooden porch below the Taoist temple. The old man looking down at him with his hands behind his back looked like a transcendent immortal who had just stepped out of a landscape painting.
Seok Myeong quickly sat up and bowed. "You've come, Elder."
"I arrived quite a while ago," Song Gwan replied.